Erik -- Grass Master : Part 1
by Erik Masters
Summary: Part 1 of EGM, preparing all for Part 2. A boy finds himself while lost in a world that will oneday be his home, but for now


Erik

Grass Master

****

Chapter 1

**Appearances**

No one knew why Erik was the way he was. He had never really fit in at his 

school. Although the few who really knew him saw his gentle personality in his bright 

green eyes, others saw a cold gaze. Erik was quiet. He did well, but his teachers didn't 

question him much. He sat in the back of class, alone. He wasn't considered part of 

school, he was just another kid. It was easy not to miss him.

His parents had never understood him. They realized that he was different from 

others, and were, truthfully, a little afraid of him themselves. As soon as he could walk, 

he couldn't be kept from the backyard. He spent a good deal of his time there. It was 

only an acre or so, but no one could ever find him. No one knew what he did out there, 

but he had the uncanny ability to completely disappear into any woods he came across. 

Maybe that's what set him apart from his other peers.

When he was gone, it was sad how only his few friends missed him. Not even his 

parents missed him much. They were sad, and mourned over him, but had never actually 

felt that parental connection. Even sadder, his friends got over it. As simple as that. But 

even if they didn't miss him, no one would ever forget Erik.

What happened to Erik that day may sound like an unbelievable story. Perhaps it 

is. But it happened.

As soon as Erik got home, he finished his homework. No hard task. He was soon 

finished, and went outside. He heard his parents enter the house, and quickly harnessed 

the powers only he knew about. For as long as he could remember, he had been able to 

cover himself up from being found, at least in nature. At first he had thought it was just 

his parents playing with him. Then he had thought he just had a knack for staying 

hidden. Then there was the day when his father was looking straight at him, but didn't 

see anything.

Erik called upon the powers, what he liked to call, "Elemental Powers" because of 

how they only seemed to work when he was outside, in nature. Like, an element, Nature. 

Or Water. He liked the sound of it because it sounded like something the Greeks would 

have thought up. He liked the Greeks.

Today, he didn't feel like being found. He walked, which was normal for him. 

He walked off his family's property and onto some mountainous land. After several 

minutes, he came to a small pool.

The Pool was his favorite part of this wild and untamed land. Sometimes he spent 

hours just enjoying it. He was actually a good artist, but he showed no one his drawings 

of the Pool. Today, though, it looked strange. It was different shades of green, all 

swirling like a plug had been pulled, yet no water drained. Erik knew it was strange. 

Because he had long ago learned to dry himself using his elemental powers, he didn't 

bother to undress. He dove straight in, expecting to enter the water and find the problem. 

Instead, he dove through a thin sheet of water, then fell through several feet of air.

He fell, but managed to call some nearby vines to cushion his fall. They didn't 

work very well. He landed on something blue and green. It moved and shoved him off. 

Erik got his first good look at it. It looked almost like dog, and was about the same size, 

except it had blue skin, a wider face, and dark blue spots on it's skin. It's claws, three to a 

foot, looked sharp, while it had a strange looking green bulb on it's back.

"Bulb…" it growled in a warning tone.

Erik scrambled back and grabbed blindly behind him. He grabbed hold of a 

baseball size thing.

"G-Get away!" He yelled as he threw whatever it was in his hand at the creature. 

The ball was strange also. It was red on one half, and white on the other, separated by a 

thin black line. As it spun from his throw, Erik saw that the black line held some sort of 

circle, thicker, that completely surrounded a small, raised circle. The ball struck the 

creature, and Erik was hoping that it would scare the creature away.

To his complete and total surprise, The ball split open like it was hinged, the thick 

black circle connected to the white part. The creature glowed bright red, and then started 

to change. The redness formed and swirled into a sphere inside the ball, where the ball 

promptly closed.

Erik watched all this with a sort of fascination, and noticed every detail in the few 

seconds. The raised circle on the ball suddenly became red. The ball actually shook 

several times before the raised circle became white again. Erik was still for several 

minutes, but he picked the ball up after a shaky period of relief. As he closed a nervous 

hand around it, it suddenly shrunk to the size of a marble, making him jump back several 

feet. After another few minutes, he grabbed it. It seemed to stick to his hand. He didn't 

want anybody to see it, but he didn't want it in his pocket either, in case the creature came 

back out. He quickly slipped it under his short sleeved green plaid shirt, and held it 

against his belt. Before he could stick it there, it jumped from his hand and stuck to the 

belt.

Erik checked himself over, and started walking.

****

Chapter 2

Bulby

After an hour of stumbling through the dense forest, Erik was already tired. The 

sun was starting to get low in the sky, and Erik wasn't too thrilled with the aspect of 

spending the night alone. After all, there were monsters, like the creature he had seen 

before, out and about.

His shadow was behind him and he was already chilly when he came upon a 

small spring. Exhausted from the day's hard walk, he fell to his knees before it. With his 

hands, he gulped down the cool, rich water. Pulling his plaid around his knees, he sat 

with his arms in the same position. He knew he could not make a fire. He had never 

been able to. It always went wrong, even if he could.

With nothing to think about but the now biting cold, Erik suddenly remembered 

the ball. He glanced to see if it was there, and then carefully grabbed it. When nothing 

happened, he looked at it more carefully. It was like he had thought, half red, half white, 

separated by a thin black line. The only feature that Erik could see that was different was 

the black circle. It penetrated both the white and the red. But, he now saw, the black 

circle wasn't half red and white, but all white. Inside that white was a completely raised 

circle, that looked like a button on a toy Erik's parents had bought him.

Unconsciously, he ran his finger across it. At the touch, it went down slightly. 

Erik blinked, surprised, and tried to push it down. The "button" went almost all of the 

way. Suddenly, at the same time, the ball grew in his hand to the size it had been when 

he first got it, like a baseball.

But, this time, he didn't drop it. He drew back, and held it away, but that only 

made him push the two sides together. It was very small, but the ball burst apart in his 

hand.

Just like before, the red split from the white, the "button" encircled in black part 

of the white. A blinding light burst out of the ball, forming into a stream of light. The 

stream dumped itself beside him, the small amount multiplying into a form of incoherent 

light. As the energy began to take on a more defined shape, Erik felt a twinge of fear in 

his stomach.

After just a few seconds, the light hardened into the shape of the creature he had 

seen earlier. It faded, revealing blue skin and that distinctive green bulb. Erik dropped 

the ball and fell back.

The creature tilted it's head. "Saur…?"

After a moment of studying him, the creature walked next to Erik and curled up 

next to him. Scared to move, Erik could do nothing but gape. After a moment, he 

reached a nervous hand out to it.

"Okay, okay, nice…um…" he muttered. It occurred to him that he didn't have a 

clue what this thing was. Carefully, he put his hand on its bulb. It opened its eyes and 

looked at him.

"Bul...?" it questioned him.

Eyes wide, Erik tried to find something out.

"H-Hi."

It seemed to smile at him.

Something occurred to Erik. "Can you talk?"

Eagerly, it nodded and said, "Bulba!"

Erik was feeling a little more at ease. "What's your name?"

"Bulbasaur! Bulba saur."

"Bulbasaur?" Erik tested the strange name out. "Bulbasaur…Do you mind if I 

call you Bulby, for short?"

It seemed to consider this. Finally, it nodded. "Bulba!" it said.

"Okay…Uh, why do you keep saying 'Bulbasaur' or some part of it?"

"Bulba bulb saur! Bubulba saurbulb!"

A bit distressed, Erik replied. It was sentient, anyway. "Um...Is that all you can 

say?"

With a firm nod, and a "Bulba!" Bulby responded.

"Okay…I guess you're with me."

Bulby rubbed its head against his arm and walked over to the ball. He pushed the 

"button" and was promptly sucked inside, a sort of reverse display of how he had come 

out. At least, Erik thought it was a "he". Not feeling so lonely anymore, Erik went to 

sleep, after causing the ball to, as he called it, "minimize," and put it on his belt.

****

Chapter 3

Oddball's Way

Erik actually slept good during the night, dreamlessly. But that was to his 

advantage; he was afraid of what he would dream if he did. Despite, he awoke shivering, 

and curled uncharacteristically into a ball. After a moment of grogginess, he remembered 

Bulby. Because he was a bit longing for conversation, he quickly tossed out Bulby's ball.

The sleeping animal was happy to be out, and quickly looked up expectantly to 

Erik.

"Sorry buddy, no breakfast. For you or me." He said to his new-found friend.

"Bulba…" it said, looking down.

"Yeah, I know." Erik replied, assuming he had meant something to the effect of, 

"Great way to start the day,"

Erik took a drink from the spring, along with Bulby, and then started on his way. 

Almost immediately, Bulby bumped his leg.

"What is it buddy?"

Before Bulby could answer, Erik heard a loud, "Odd!", soon followed by a softer, 

sadder, "Oddish…"

Much to Erik's surprise, Bulby took off, bounding across the stream formed by the 

spring.

"Hey! Bulby, wait up!" Erik called as he chased after Bulby. After a few 

minutes of a hard run, Erik finally reached Bulby. He dropped, an arm around Bulby's 

bulb.

"What was that for?" he asked, breathing hard.

"Bulb! Bulba bul bulbasaur!" Bulby said urgently.

Suddenly, Erik heard a "Odd!", very close. He looked up and past Bulby.

Erik blinked. It was a very strange creature. He hadn't a clue whether it was a 

plant, or another creature like Bulby. Judging from it's cry, it was a creature. It was like 

a radish. It had bright green leaves on it's head, and, as before, a radish-like body, only 

with feet. It's face was taking up the entire "front" of the blue "head." It didn't have any 

arms, but blue feet to match.

It wasn't its appearance that startle Erik, but rather, what it was in. A foot was 

caught in what looked like a bear trap, but it was much smaller. Bulby was constantly 

chattering, and looking from Erik to the creature and back to Erik again. Erik didn't 

know what would happen, but he kneeled beside the creature. Carefully brushing back 

the tears gushing from it's eyes, he set to work to opening the trap. After a few moments, 

it was obviously a futile effort.

"I can't open it." He said to Bulby.

"Bulba." he said firmly. When he saw Erik's look of confusion, he shoved Erik 

out of the way. Erik now came upon the bright idea that Bulby meant "move."

Taking a few steps back, and with a "Bulbasaur!", Bulby dazzled Erik. A 

swirling mass of leaves was emanated from Bulby, connecting with the trap at the joint.

Slicing through the metal like a hot knife through butter, the leaves fell, and the 

strange creature was free. It apparently wasn't too badly injured, because it ran over to 

Erik and gave him what could've been a hug, had it had arms. Laughing, Erik replied to 

the happy "Odd!"s and "Oddish!"s.

"Well, you're sure an oddball. How'd you get in there?"

After a string of repeated syllables and phrases, Erik had even less of an idea of 

how the creature had gotten there than before.

After seeing the look on Erik's face, Bulby told him, "Bulba! Saurbulb bulba 

bulbasaur!" Erik was starting to understand Bulby.

"She…was walking along here…and stepped…in the trap?" Bulby quickly 

nodded.

"Well, watch out for more." He advised the creature. He stood up pulled out his 

ball. He maximized it and tossed it out onto Bulby, who was brought inside.

Erik started walking, and happened to looked behind him. The creature was 

following him.

"Wanna come with me?"

"Oddish!" the creature said.

Erik laughed. "Okay Oddball, come on."

Erik wandered back to the stream and started following it. Looking behind him, 

he noticed Oddball was limping slightly.

"Come here, girl." He said as he reached down and scooped up the small creature. 

She wasn't too heavy. He lifted her and put Oddball on his shoulder.

"Odd!" the small creature cried out in happiness. Continuing on his way, Oddball 

somehow kept her balance, without the aid of arms. After a few hours, the stream 

emptied out into a lake. Coming to a halt, Erik looked around.

"Well, I don't know about you, but I'm starving. How you doing Bulby?" Erik 

said to himself as he tossed out Bulby's ball. As the strange creature appeared, he 

nodded.

"Bulbasaur!" he said.

Before Erik could say anything, Bulby extended two vines, one from each of what 

could pass as his shoulder. Using one, he plucked some reeds in the lake. With the other 

he pulled off the roots and tossed the reeds. Dipping the vine with roots in the water, 

Bulby let the other hover over it.

"Uh...Bulby? What are you doing?" Erik asked. It seemed a little familiar.

"Bulba! Saur bulbabulb?" Bulby called.

"Oddish!" Oddball said back to Bulby, sounding alarmed.

From what Erik could piece together, he thought Bulby meant he was fishing. 

Oddball was probably a vegetarian, because she obviously didn't like what Bulby was 

doing, Erik thought. Oddball turned her head away from Bulby, and jumped down from 

Erik's shoulder. She walked over to a fertile area and started eating.

About this time, Bulby's vine was pulled, and he turned his attention back to the 

lake. Quicker that Erik could follow, Bulby whipped his other vine around and into the 

water. In a moment, there were three rainbow trout laying on the bank, and Bulby pulled 

his vines back in.

Oddball looked up from her meal, full, and walked back over to Erik.

****

Chapter 4

Meeting Psych

After some difficulty, Erik had gotten to like the taste of raw fish, at least by the 

end of the meal. Amazingly, he was full, and ready to go.

"Bulby, let's go buddy." Erik said as he tossed the maximized ball onto Bulby. In 

the light show that always occurred, Bulby entered the ball, and Erik picked it up, 

attaching it to his belt.

"How you feeling Oddball?" he asked that small animal. Her limp was almost 

fully gone.

"Oddish!" Erik laughed.

"Alright, let's get out of here." He said, scooping up Oddball and putting her on 

his shoulder.

They started walking. After a few minutes, walking around the lake, Erik spotted 

a path.

"That's strange. I haven't seen anything manmade since I got here." Erik said, 

more to himself than to Oddball.

Regardless, he started walking along the path. Never needing to slow for anyone, 

Erik walked briskly, remembering his days back where he came from. _Where he came _

from. It seemed like an age ago. He hadn't ever walked slow. Nobody, except jerks 

trying to make a name for themselves, ever tried to slow him. Spending much of his time 

in the wild, he surprised many people by being able to hold his own against five or six 

people. Since he didn't hurt them, he wasn't in trouble.

But, walking fast, he saw a figure on a hill ahead. Before he could look for any 

details, it had dropped down the far side. He walked even faster, and was soon at the top 

of the hill. He drew in his breath, amazed.

The forest around him ended a few hundred yards ahead. Beyond it was a huge 

city, with tall skyscrapers, buzzing with activity. It was at least a mile away, but that was 

no problem for Erik, and the downhill way just made it easier.

The figure he had seen was walking away from him, already a hundred yards 

away. It was a slim, feminine form, brown, chin-length hair curled slightly. Her 

backpack was slung over one shoulder, a dark green pack, and she had one hand resting 

lightly on the strap. She had on a red T-shirt, sleeveless, and short blue jeans, showing 

elegant legs gracefully moving across the ground.

"Odd…" Oddball said, looking at Erik out of the side of her eyes and nudging 

him.

"Huh..?" Erik blushed, realizing he had been staring, and looked at Oddball.

"Hey, you telling me you don't like guy…um…whatever-you-are's?"

Oddball just snickered.

Erik, now, realized that she was fifty yards farther away, and he started a jog, 

purposely bouncing Oddball.

After a few minutes, he caught up to the girl. From a dozen feet back, he could 

see her more clearly. She was tall, almost as tall as Erik, and looked to be about as old. 

Catching his breath, he looked straight at her, while saying to Oddball, "Prepare to be 

dazzled, smart one." Taking a deep breath, he started walking.

Just a few feet away, and about to say hello, Erik saw her groan and bend over. 

Gasping, she fell to her knees, he pack falling to the ground beside her. Running up to 

her, Erik extend a hand.

"Hey, you okay?" he asked. She didn't respond, and appeared to be spaced out. 

After a second, she looked up at him. It was all Erik could do not to stare.

She was very pretty, or, as Erik told himself, twelve-year old girls aren't pretty; 

they're cute. She had perfectly formed features, smooth and gentle, yet strong. Her eyes 

were what caught Erik's. They were a startling blue, almost glowing, and they penetrated 

deep into Erik.

She looked at him, looked into him, and spoke, for the first time, and the last time 

Erik would hear for a long while. The words were fluid, soft yet firm, beautiful yet 

strong. It constantly contradicted itself, forming into one, lovely voice.

"You…you're him…" she said, a strange look of familiarity in her eyes. She 

spoke a last time. "I am Psych…Laury…" She looked distant for a moment.

"Find me…"

Erik heard the words echo in his head. _Find me._ A split second afterwards, as 

Erik was drawing his hand back, he saw her grimace, paining him. At the same time, her 

body dissolved into a blue mist, quickly dispersing. Erik hand fell on her pack, more of a 

boy's kind of pack. He blinked, no longer surprised knowing not what to expect next.

Oddball was silent. He picked up the pack carefully, not going through it. He 

slipped it over one shoulder, Oddball jumping to let the other strap on. Standing slowly 

up straight, he started walking. No longer fast. No longer in a hurry. Only one voice 

echoed inside his head, only one thought.

__

Find me.

****

Chapter 5

Pokémon Trainer

Oddball watched Erik. He had become silent in the last few minutes. Oddball 

knew that Erik was going to do what was asked of him, to find that girl, so she knew he 

wasn't emotionless. He was serious, but not emotionless.

"Oddish." She said.

Erik sighed, now understanding, only on instinct. "Yeah, I guess so."

Oddball jumped down, waiting at Erik's foot. Kneeling, Erik removed his pack 

and started going through it. Organizing items together, he came out with a impressive 

collection. Seven more of the balls like the one Bulby was in, one of which Oddball 

opened and entered. Erik quickly attached it to his belt. The other six were all empty. 

There were also three bottles, two looking like a strange spray-bottle, bearing the name, 

"Super Potion," which Erik had no idea what it could mean. The other was a simple 

water bottle. There were several books, most of them classics, but one caught Erik's eye. 

It was entitled, "A guide to Pokémon Training." Erik wasn't sure, but the name 

"Pokémon" sounded just as unfamiliar as "Bulbasaur" once had.

Replacing the other items, Erik walked into the woods beside the road. After a 

few minutes, he came to a stream. Leaning his pack against a tree, he sat down next to it. 

He opened the book and started to read.

"A guide to Pokémon Training is a booklet written by Professor Oak, in order to 

help beginning Pokémon Trainers learn the best ways to train. For most people, you 

already know what a Pokémon is. But if you don't, perhaps these pages will help.

A Pokémon, such as this Bulbasaur, is a creature that has special powers, called 

elemental powers." It showed a picture of Bulby.

Erik tossed out Bulby's ball, and he emerged.

"So you're a Pokémon, aren't you?" Erik asked.

"Bulbasaur!" he said with a nod.

"Well, come on back." Erik tossed the ball, brought Bulby inside, and continued 

reading.

"These elemental powers have been divided by scientists into fifteen types. The 

type of a Pokémon identifies what elemental powers it can learn. The fifteen powers are 

listed on page 127. Pokémon can learn different attacks, such as Bulbasaur's Razor Leaf 

attack, where it emits a swirling mass of leaves—"

Erik looked up. "So that thing Bulby did is called Razor Leaf." He said to 

himself. He read some more info about Pokémon, until he came to a section about 

catching a Pokémon.

"To catch a Pokémon, trainers usually use a Pokéball. This object, half red, half 

white, is quite handy for storing a Pokémon and catching one. Maximizing and 

Minimizing these balls have earned Pokémon the name of Pocket Monsters, which 

evolved into Pokémon over time.

After a Pokémon has been caught, it can be sent out again by throwing its 

Pokéball into an open space. When recalling it, a verbal command, "Return" is enough to 

send a finder beam from the Pokéball. If this finder beam hits the Pokémon, that 

Pokémon will be recalled."

Erik read a lot, looking up Bulby's moves. So far, he knew Bulby had Razor 

Leaf, the leaves he had used to free Oddball, and Vine Whip, the vines he had extended 

when fishing. Soon, it was too dark to continue. Erik looked at his wrist watch, and saw 

that it was nine thirty, already far past when he should have been in the city.

Erik grabbed his pack and ran towards the path. He jogged briskly for a moment, 

and recalled some of the basic stuff he had read. He owned two Pokémon, a Bulbasaur, 

Bulby, and an Oddish, Oddball. He knew he needed a license to train too. If his 

Pokémon were tired, or hurt, he should take them to a Pokémon Center, a kind of hospital 

for Pokémon. There was one in almost every major city ahead. A Super Potion, of 

which he had two, healed a Pokémon's health a bit more than a normal Potion.

Already at the city, Erik quickly found the Pokémon Center, or PokéCenter for 

short. It was a large building, with a Pokéball shape on the front. He ran in and caught 

his breath, bending over from the long run.

"Excuse me, may I help you?" a voice asked him.

Erik looked up and saw a red haired nurse, hands folded across her lap, looking at 

him. From his booklet, he figured out that she was Nurse Joy. Or, a Nurse Joy, because 

all the Pokécenters were run by a relative of a Nurse Joy—all were identical and were 

named Joy.

"Uh, yeah. Could you heal my Pokémon?"

She smiled. "Of course! Come this way." She showed him to a desk, where he 

deposited his two Pokéballs containing Bulby and Oddball.

Putting them in a special container, Nurse Joy turned to her computer.

"Oh my! You have quite a strong Bulbasaur there young man! Why, he's at level 

83!"

Suddenly recalling that a Pokémon's power was rated by it's level, the top being 

100, Erik was pleased to hear that.

"Thank you." He got his Pokémon back in a moment, and was about to leave.

"Wait just a minute young man! You can't go out there! You'll spend half the 

night setting up camp and besides, you'll never reach Pewter City by tomorrow!"

"Yes ma'am" Erik said, trusting that she knew more than he did.

Lying on the Pokécenter's couch, Erik read his manual, trying to figure out who 

Professor Oak was. He was obviously a very important figure. Just as he was about to 

give up, Erik noticed a small address printed inside the cover.

"Professor Oak.

128 Tophill Drive

Pallet Town, Indigo Islands"

Sitting up, Erik put his book in his pack and walked up to Nurse Joy. He was 

alone in the Pokécenter.

"Uh…Excuse me, but do you know how I can get to Pallet Town?"

Nurse Joy smiled at him. "It's normally three days travel on the road south of 

here. But if you walk briskly, you might be able to make it in a day."

"Thank you." Erik said, smiling and walking off. As soon as he hit the couch, he 

was asleep, glad to have a soft bed after being in the wild.

After Erik woke up, he grabbed his pack and left. It was early, but he had to 

make an early start. Sneaking out, Nurse Joy, even the early riser she was, didn't catch 

him.

Walking briskly, even for him, Erik was halfway to Pallet by noon, and he didn't 

stop for lunch. He kept walking, and set the record time for distance traveling, reaching 

Pallet late in the day. It wasn't a record to be broken until several years later, when Ash 

Ketchum would make the trip in half a day, being chased by Spearow.

Erik saw Professor Oak's house, the town being very small, and walked to it. 

Taking a deep breath, he knocked.

****

Chapter 6

The League

"Hello?"

A tall, white haired old man opened the door. His voice didn't sound too old, but 

could have belonged to someone in their forties. Erik looked him straight in the eye.

"Are you Professor Oak?" he asked.

"Yes, but I don't believe I know who you are. And if you're here for a Pokémon, 

that was over two weeks ago, and there aren't any extras." Oak replied.

"Oh no, I'm not here for a Pokémon, I'm here for my…" Erik paused, trying to 

remember why he was here. "Maybe I better start at the beginning. And my name's 

Erik." He stated, trying to hint the Professor.

"Okay…" Professor Oak eyed him a moment. "Oh my! Where are my manners! 

Come in, come in!" he said as he ushered Erik inside the mansion on a hill.

"Please, sit down while I get us some tea." He said, leading Erik to a room. It had 

several mats laying around a knee high table, and Erik took a seat facing a large wall 

made of glass. Outside the window was a garden, with trees, shrubs, a small pond, and 

sand. Several more Pokémon were in the garden. In fact, the garden seemed to take up 

much of the mansion's space, allowing birds and big worms and fish and strange shrews 

and many other kinds of Pokémon to move around.

In particular, Erik noticed a small group of Bulbasaur, although they were much 

smaller than Bulby.

"Ah, I see you've noticed my little garden." Professor Oak said as he came in, 

setting two cups and a teapot on the table.

"Yes, but I only have a Bulbasaur and Oddish, Bulby and Oddball." Erik said.

Professor Oak finished pouring the tea. "You already have two Pokémon? I 

looked you up while the tea was on. You aren't a Pokémon Trainer, so having Pokémon 

in your possession is illegal. Do they belong to your parents?" Oak asked.

"Actually, no. But before you arrest me or something, let me explain myself." 

Erik took a breath, and started to explain. "I don't think I belong here. I was in the 

woods behind my house one day, walking to a small spring that I like. I noticed that it 

was strange, green and swirling. I, probably foolishly, dove in, and fell out on top of 

Bulby." Erik glanced down at Bulby's Pokéball. 

"I didn't know it at the time, but I grabbed a Pokéball, and threw it at Bulby, who 

was weak and caught. After that, he helped me rescue Oddball, my Oddish, from a trap."

Professor Oak interrupted. "Trap? Did it look something like a small bear trap?" 

he asked.

"Yes. I assumed that it was poachers, because it didn't really fit in. Anyway, I 

rescued Oddball and she followed me. I finally came upon a city, but before I reached it, 

a girl named Psych, or Laury, came across me. She…she disappeared into a kind of blue 

mist, but she acted like she knew me from somewhere. Anyway, I found your book on 

training and read some of it. That's how I knew about what things and places were 

called."

Professor Oak had been listening carefully. "Yes…" Suddenly, he lit up. 

"Please wait a moment, Erik, I must get something." He quickly left the room and 

returned with a thick, hand-bound book.

"These are all the Pokémon legends. A copy, of course, because the real one is at 

the Pewter City Museum. But, if I'm right…" he sat down, opening the book, and started 

flipping.

"Ah! Here it is. I have been trying to understand this one for years, and was 

about to give up. In one of the legends, there is a prophesy hand written in the margin. It 

goes as follows: 

'Existing beyond time and space,

A place to where none shall travel,

Will come a hero to fight.

With bonds of steel between his friends,

To free another of mind,

And to destroy the evil users of power,

And free all they have enslaved.

Comes with the two without permission,

To complete his quest,

Only when gone is the one of mind,

And the mind of freedom.

Will one who knows not of this world,

Join the ultimate battle,

And free his one and only love,

From the deadly cut of the sword.

But only when Gassiter is found again,

Will the fore be true,

And when he comes,

May all evil beware.'" Professor Oak paused. "As you can see, it isn't too 

specific. Also, there is only one other mention of this 'Gassiter'." He flipped, and held 

up the book. "Gassiter, is says here, is the deadliest Mystic Power of all time. And, if 

you'll look closer, it says 'to both when used for evil."

Erik couldn't do anything but gape at the picture. It was the only color picture in 

the book. The grip was set in leather strips, looking new, and was only wide enough for 

one hand. On both sides of the grip were emerald green guards, merely the grip 

expanding and coming to a flat. Sword blades emerged from the guards, The blades were 

in the act of twirling, glowing a slight green and leaving a wave of green energy behind 

each blade.

Surely the Professor didn't think that _he_ was the "hero" the prophesy mentioned. 

But, he wasn't so sure.

The Professor eyed him. "Since I can tell you're a nice and responsible young 

boy," he said, closing the book and taking out a pen and some papers. "I'll let this slide. 

What is your name?"

Erik mustered a reply. "Erik Masters." He said.

"For parent/guardians, I'll simply put 'unknown', and for your address, you can 

say this is your home." Oak said.

"Thank you." Erik replied.

"And, finally, is there anything you'd like to call your Pokédex?" Oak asked.

"My what?" Erik said, confused as to what a Pokédex was.

"It's a handheld computer that gives you information about any Pokémon you see. 

I'll show you how to update it later, but I follow tradition and give each Pokédex a name. 

It's also your Pokémon Trainer's License."

"Uh, how about Dexboy?" Erik suggested.

"Perfect. If you'll excuse me…" Oak said as he stood up. He walked out of the 

room and returned a few minutes later.

"Since you have both your Pokémon in Pokéballs, I assume that you found 

some?" he said, handing Erik a small, green, rectangular organizer.

"Yes, they were in my pack. Laury's pack." He corrected himself.

The green organizer had a small light in the upper left hand corner, and a small 

button on the side. He pressed it. It opened, and Erik looked at it. There was a large 

screen, a green button, and a directional control pad on one side, and a few rows of white 

buttons on the other side, along with two large buttons and another small white one. The 

rows had symbols on them, and looked more like lights than button. Suddenly, the light 

on the upper light hand corner started flashing, and it showed a picture of him. A 

computerized voice spoke as the light flashed.

"I am Dexboy, a Pokédex programmed by Professor Oak for Pokémon Trainer 

Erik Masters. I assist him by providing information about Pokémon and associated 

subjects." It, or he, said.

The Professor gave him a few last tips. "If you are the one the prophesy was 

talking about, you can look for whoever it is you're looking for while you gain the 

badges from each town. There are eight major towns, and eight gyms. The first is in 

Viridian, but it doesn't admit anyone who doesn't have the first seven. So start in 

Pewter. After that, you can go the league. When you get all the badges, or find her, 

contact me. My number is in the Pokédex. I'll assist you from there. Check in on me 

from time to time, and I'll try to give you some tips." He paused. "Good luck Erik." He 

said.

After thanking the Professor, the new Pokémon Trainer Erik left, and started for 

the first town ahead, Viridian City.

****

Chapter 7

The Ten Clues

Erik had walked about halfway to Viridian by the time it started to get dark. He 

hadn't encountered any wild Pokémon yet, but he had been listening to Dexboy. He 

could expect to find three different kinds of Pokémon here, Pidgey, a bird Pokémon, 

Spearow, another bird Pokémon with a horrible attitude, and Rattata, a rat Pokémon.

Using the matches Professor Oak gave him, Erik lit up a pile of pine straw, then 

quickly added sticks near an abandoned campsite. After all, if he didn't learn how to start 

a campfire and control it, he'd never find Laury. He used some leaves to get it going, and 

then let out Bulby and Oddish to stretch their legs. While the ran around near the 

campfire, Erik got out his Trainer's guide and read some more.

He hadn't gotten but a few pages when his Pokédex started beeping. Opening it, 

Professor Oak's face appeared, and he started to talk, like a video phone.

"Erik! Sorry to bother you like this, but I forgot to tell you that I finally built a 

video phone into my Pokédexes! You can call me or anyone else anytime, by using the 

type displays as numbers, 1 to 5 and then 6 to 0! Anyway, I really called to tell you this: 

After you left, I started trying to figure out another part scribbled after the prophesy. It 

was just gibberish, so I didn't tell you, but I figured it out! It says, 'May all evil beware'. 

Of course, you know that, but it wasn't a period; it was a comma. Afterwards it says, 

'When the ten clues are solved, for then Gassiter shall be found'!" I hope this helps you 

Erik. Bye!"

The Professor hung up before Erik could do or say anything. Closing his Pokédex 

and Trainer's Guide, Erik put them away.

Holding out two Pokéballs, Erik tried out his "return" command.

"Bulby, Oddball, return." He said. Red beams shot out of the raised circle on the 

Pokéballs, each connecting with Bulby or Oddball. They were turned into red light and 

brought inside the Pokéballs. Erik put them on his belt and went to sleep. He didn't have 

a sleeping bag. Already half asleep, Erik made a groggy mental note to pick one up.

Light from the sun woke Erik up. Sore from spending the night on the ground, he 

summoned some nearby vines to cover his campfire ashes. Packing once again, he 

realized that he still didn't have any food. His stomach growling, he made an all out run 

to Viridian. He rushed into the Pokémon center panting.

Looking around, he spotted Nurse Joy.

"Excuse me, but do you have any Pokémon food I could buy? I'm afraid I don't 

have any, and both my Pokémon haven't eaten for over a day." He said. In an 

afterthought, he added, "Then again, neither have I."

Nurse Joy took one look at him. "Why, young man! When's the last time you 

had a shower? And look how thin you are! No sir, you're going to get cleaned up and 

full before I ever let you leave here again!" she said as she ushered him towards a private 

shower room. Just as she put him in and left, he took off Bulby and Oddish's Pokéballs.

"Nurse Joy!" he called. As she turned, he tossed the two Pokéballs and went back 

into the shower room. They would get fed while he showered.

Twenty minutes later, Erik had showered, clean from head to toe, and put on 

clean clothes. Apparently, while he showered, a system had cleaned his clothes, which 

he had placed in the area marked, "Clothes."

Coming out, rubbing his hair back into it's normal position, hanging freely, he 

walked down the hall. It didn't take him very long to find Bulby and Oddball. They 

were in a room filled with loud sounds of munching. Their munching. At a small table 

Nurse Joy sat watching them. She stood up as he came in.

"And for you…?" she inquired.

Erik told the truth, what he really wanted. "Anything." He said. A few minutes 

later, she returned with a 12-ounce T-bone and fries, complete with a large Coke.

"Now that I'm done playing Pokésitter and waitress, I think I'll go back to being 

Nurse." She said, and walked out of the room.

A few minutes later, Erik dumped his empty plate and cup into the correctly 

marked area. Sitting down again, he watched Bulby and Oddball, still eating a large 

amount of brown food, talk in between chewing and swallowing. After concentrating for 

a moment, he could almost make out what they were saying. While they were repeating 

syllables of their name in different orders, this is what they meant.

"What do you think of Erik?" Bulby asked.

"I don't know. He's okay. Do you think he understands us?" Oddball replied 

thoughtfully.

"I think he understands me. Maybe you too. Whatever, I don't think he can hear 

good enough from over there." Bulby said, glancing at Erik.

"Maybe. You know, he looks a lot like a person in a story my mother used to tell 

me. She said something—I don't remember it all—she said something about a boy 

named Erik finding something called Gassiter. Whatever that means." Oddball said, 

apparently for no reason.

"Yeah. I heard Gassiter was a weapon, but that was when we were inside that old 

guy's house." Bulby said, and then started to talk about his mother and father, and how 

they were caught when he was a young Bulbasaur.

Erik suddenly remembered that he hadn't added data to his Pokédex about Bulby 

or Oddball. Pulling it out, he opened it and pointed it at Oddball.

"Oddish. This Pokémon uses a variety of spores to lay its opponent to rest, such 

as Stun Spore or Leech Seed. It can also learn Solarbeam, TM version." Dexboy said, 

while showing a picture of an Oddish. Changing the screen to a classic Pokédex statistics 

layout, he showed Oddball's moves while continuing. "This Oddish has learned Stun 

Spore, Poison Powder, and Razor Leaf."

Now pointing Dexboy at Bulby, a Bulbasaur was displayed.

"Bulbasaur. Scientists are unsure whether to classify this Pokémon as a plant or 

animal. As it evolves, the bulb on its back grows and develops." He again changed 

screens. "This Bulbasaur has learned Tackle, Razor Leaf, Solar Beam, and Vine Whip." 

He said.

Bulby and Oddball were just finishing their meal.

"Bulby, Oddball, return." Erik said, and they were brought inside. Erik put them 

on his belt and left the Pokécenter, thanking Nurse Joy on his way out.

Erik started walking, looking for the Mart in this small town.

It wasn't too hard to spot; it was only a few dozen yards from the Pokécenter. 

Walking inside, he browsed through the items, only recognizing a few. After discretely 

studying the list in his guide, he chose to buy five Super Potions and five regular potions 

for healing Bulby and Oddball. He also took into consideration Viridian Forest, and 

chose to buy three Antidotes. All in all, it cost him about half his money.

He walked outside, consulting his guide as he did so. Looking up for a moment, 

he realized that he was going to depend on the Trainer's Guide a lot. Erik stood up, and 

headed for what had once been called a "natural maze." He was heading for Viridian 

Forest, where, hopefully, he would catch a Pokémon.

After an hour, Erik reached the forest. It was thick, lush with tall trees and 

bushes. On a dirt road leading into the forest, leaves and grass grew over their 

boundaries and into the well worn path.

Taking a last look back at Viridian, Erik took his first steps into the forest. Just 

around a bend in the road, Erik immediately saw a creature in front of him. It was build 

like a caterpillar, with green, segmented parts, circular and connecting at the ends. At the 

back was a short, yellow tail that looked hardened. On it's head was a red antennae, that 

started as a single one and then split like a **Y**. It had large round eyes, yellow with huge 

black pupils. It was hurrying away on short yellow feet.

Erik was quick to act. Pulling Oddball's Pokéball and enlarging it, he 

commanded, "Oddball, Go!"

He threw the ball, and it hit the ground, releasing the energy that so quickly 

formed into Oddball. The worm froze, squealing with fear. Before continuing Erik 

brought out Dexboy and pointed it at the animal.

"Caterpie." He said, his voice mechanical and fake. "A worm Pokémon. If you 

touch the feeler on it's head, it will release a horrible stink to protect itself."

Erik was quick to call out to Oddball. "You hear that?" When she nodded, Erik 

said, "Then Razor Leaf!"

Oddball released a quick burst of leaves at Caterpie. After that short instant, Erik 

could see that it was already weak.

Pulling another Pokéball, an empty one, he enlarged it. "Pokéball! Go!" he cried, 

throwing the ball at Caterpie.

At soon at it hit the Pokémon, Caterpie was transformed into energy and 

transferred into the ball, which shut tightly, having opened when it hit Caterpie. The ball 

gave a slight rock, and then the red warning light went off.

"Yes!" Erik yelled, ecstasy overcoming all caution he had advised himself. He 

ran over and scooped up both Oddball and Caterpie's Pokéball in one, swift motion. 

Giving Oddball a hug, he returned her to her Pokéball. As for Caterpie, he released it and 

sprayed one of his Potions on it. It was immediately revitalized.

"How you feeling, little friend?" Erik asked it.

"Caterpie!" it said. Erik was already starting to understand it.

"Cater! Pie caterpie!" it said, Erik realizing it was a she, also.

"What should I call you?" Erik ventured.

After a quizzical reply, Erik took out Dexboy again and pressed the new MORE 

INFO button.

"Caterpie, a worm Pokémon, evolves into Metapod, a cocoon Pokémon, around 

level 7. Metapod then evolves into Butterfree, a butterfly Pokémon, around level 10." He 

said.

Putting Dexboy in his pocket, Erik considered.

"Well, let's call you Buttergirl, eh?" Erik said to the little creature. When it 

nodded vigorously, he held out it's Pokéball. "Buttergirl, return." He said, letting the red 

beam recall Caterpie. Instead of transforming her into energy, the beam simply 

dissipated, appearing to do nothing at all.

"What?" Erik said, confused. Buttergirl said a stream of its language.

Erik got more and more excited at she went on. Kneeling, he knew that this was 

the first of the ten clues.

"The ten clues form a verse?" he asked. "And you know the first one?" he said. 

Buttergirl nodded fiercely. "Well, what is it?" he asked, almost impatient.

She went off on another stream, and he was even more confused. Buttergirl had 

said, "The first line is, 'The mystic's sword Gassiter is hidden below. Where, only I 

know.' I guess you understand that. And, I think you are the one I was supposed to give 

these to. My mother got this from her mother, and so on. I think you're supposed to 

have it, though I don't know why I think that."

She glowed a bright green for a moment, and then, in an instant, an item appeared 

from mist in front of her.

It was part of a medallion. The cord was long and black, and at the end, a small, 

golden circle was born. It had a nine-edged circle in the middle, with other supports 

dividing the area between the large and small circles into nine segments. On the left side, 

one of the segments was filled with glass, a deep, rich green. It seemed to glow. All in 

all, it wasn't much bigger that Erik's palm. He took it, and, silently recalling Buttergirl 

into her Pokéball, slipped it around his neck. He knew that the ten clues were a way of 

finding Laury. And this was the first of the many.

****

Chapter 8

Buttergirl Earns her Name

There was nothing but swirling darkness. Looking closely, Erik could just make 

out a figure, thought it was a complete black, difficult to make out from the other nightly 

colors. Without any movement that Erik could see, it spoke in a voice, deep and 

soothing.

"The Mystic's sword Gassiter is hidden below. Where, only I know."

Pausing, the figure gently swept his hand, two fingers out, in front of him. A 

green bolt flew, blazing onto Erik's chest, where the medallion was. The bolt flickered 

for a moment, blinding Erik, before it dissipated. When the afterimage faded, all Erik 

could see was the medallion. Where the green glass had been, there was a shining, green 

metal plate, engraved with a single symbol.

Erik awoke to a sweat. The sun was just peaking over the horizon, but it was still 

dark in the forest. After taking a second to calm down, he rolled up his mat and placed it 

in his backpack. He carefully disposed of the campfire ashes, and then stood up, dressed 

and ready to go. Unconsciously, he fingered his medallion, hanging loose around his 

neck.

Instead of a smooth glass, there was a rough surface. Glancing down, he saw that 

it was no longer glass; it was metal, engraved with the symbol he had seen just half an 

hour ago. He paused only for a moment, then continued walking.

Pulling out Buttergirl's Pokéball, he tossed it onto the ground. She appeared and 

looked sleepily at his medallion.

"Know anything about glass turning into metal, Buttergirl?" Erik asked slyly.

Buttergirl took up his pace beside him, and glanced at him. Speaking in her own 

language, Erik still understood. "No, but that's what just happened, isn't it?" she said.

Erik said nothing, just walked in companionable silence for a while. When the 

fog was starting to lift up, Erik started to feel uncomfortable. Pulling gently on the 

medallion, Erik was about to say something. He got cut off, for just ahead was a bird, 

flying towards them.

Erik quickly pulled out Dexboy.

"Pidgey." He said. "This bird Pokémon is gentle and easiest to capture. A perfect 

target for the beginning Pokémon Trainer."

Erik didn't want an easy Pokémon, so he hit the MORE INFO button again.

"Pidgey evolves into the larger Pidgeotto, which evolves into Pidgeot, large 

enough to fly upon if it has learned the correct attack."

Erik quickly stuffed Dexboy in his pocket.

"On the other hand, Buttergirl, maybe I'll catch it after all. Prepare for defeat, for 

it's by Buttergirl you'll be beat!" Erik said.

Buttergirl gave him a questioning look, before jumping in front of the bird and 

calling back to Erik, "Piiie! Cater caterpie!," meaning, "Nice rhyme. Let's go!"

The Pidgey flared up, then circled around, waiting to see what Buttergirl was 

going to do,

"Buttergirl, Tackle!" Erik called.

Buttergirl jumped at the approaching bird. Pidgey avoided the lunge, but 

Buttergirl came back with a backflip, a first for Caterpies. Hitting Pidgey in the back, the 

attack caused more damage than it normally would.

The Pidgey replied by blowing a fast wind at Buttergirl with it's wings, creating a 

small tornado. Buttergirl was weakened, but not too much. "Buttergirl!" Erik yelled to 

it. "Tackle it again!"

Buttergirl waited in a kind of crouched position, while the Pidgey flew down and 

tried to snatch a meal with it's beak. Right before Buttergirl would've been breakfast, 

she jumped aside and swung, hitting Pidgey in the back again, this time with her tail. The 

Pidgey fell to the ground, weakened, and lay there, slumped and breathing hard.

Erik pulled an empty Pokéball. "Pokéball, go!" he cried, throwing it at Pidgey. 

Pidgey was pulled inside, and, even in such a weak state, gave a strong fight before 

relenting. Erik yelled his joy out to the world, and grabbed the ball. Before he could let 

his new Pokémon out, Buttergirl rose up so that two-thirds of its body was off the ground. 

She started spitting out a silk thread in such a way that it made a cocoon around her. In a 

moment, the silk hardened into a green shell.

Erik pulled out Dexboy. "Metapod." He said. "A large impact on this cocoon 

Pokémon may cause it to pop out of it's shell."

Erik grinned. Recalling Buttergirl, Erik released Pidgey.

"Pidge…" it said in a weak voice.

"Sorry buddy, but I can't spare a Potion. You well enough or do I need to head 

back to the Pokécenter in Viridian?" he said. Pidgey stood up straight and tall. "That 

right?" Erik said, laughing. "I take it you're a boy, right?" Pidgey nodded. "Well, what 

should I call you?" he asked, more to himself than to Pidgey. Erik pulled out Dexboy. 

"This Pidgey's moves are Gust, Sand Attack, and Whirlwind."

The first one caught Erik's ear. "How 'bout Gusty?" he said. Gusty nodded 

vigorously, and then slumped to the ground in a peaceful sleep. Erik recalled it.

Watching him walk away, two figures hid in the bushes.

"He's got a nice Metapod. Too bad the boss only wants high-level Pokémon." 

Said one voice, mature and deep.

"Maybe," said another voice, "but if we're right, then this kid has that really high 

Bulbasaur. Did you prepare the trap ahead?" asked the feminine voice, fluid and 

confident.

"Yes." Said the other. "Yes…"

Erik saw the trap ahead, but he wouldn't have noticed it if he hadn't been 

practicing his skills. Being surrounded by trees, vines, and bushes, he immediately 

__

sensed the trap, felt the dying sticks and leaves that had been used to make a rough 

covering. Because he knew what to look for, Erik saw the slightly darker patch of 

ground.

Pretending to be aimlessly walking around, he wandered to one side of the road, 

whistling, and avoided the trap.

"Drats!" said the first voice harshly. "How'd he know it was there?"

"How should I know?" asked the second. "Well, I guess it's time for a battle…"

Erik was reading the guide when he came upon a section about battling a 

Pokémon. Only one at a time may be used, although all may be used at one time or 

another. All battles were fought this way, except Gym Battles for Badges. When you 

collected all eight badges, you could challenge the Elite Four and become a Pokémon 

Master. Erik didn't care about that part, but read carefully about using extreme caution 

when battling against the group, "Team Rocket," who used Pokémon for Evil.

Erik was interrupted when he glanced up to see two figures.

The one of the left wore a deep black shirt with a red "R" on the front, covered by 

a black vest. He had black hair, cut to a buzz cut. The other one had a too-short black 

shirt, also with a red "R." They both wore pitch black pants. Striking over-dramatic 

poses, they spoke.

The woman was first.

"Allow us to introduce ourselves. To lay claim to all the universe."

The man was next. "To get rid of all Joys who nurse."

They started to take turns as they spoke. "To engage all who oppose in Pokémon 

battles."

"To win, and take back what they have taken from us adults."

"Dereko!"

"Jennie!"

"Team Rocket, here to win and take what we want!"

"Hand you Pokémon over or we won't just taunt!"

Erik slowly couched during all of this, more bored than scared. But now that they 

eyed him and gripped a Pokéball each, the adrenaline was starting to flow.

Jennie spoke. "Now hand over that Bulbasaur, boy, or we'll take it."

"I don't think so." Erik said.

Dereko raised an eyebrow. "No? Well, then, we'll have to take it. Dereko 

chooses, Geodude!" he said, throwing a Pokéball.

Jennie also threw one, calling, "Growlithe, let's go!" Both of their Pokéballs hit 

the ground, releasing two Pokémon.

Dereko's looked like a small, floating boulder with arms, eyes, and a mouth. 

Jennie's was like a small tiger, but more like a puppy. It was cute, and Erik felt sorry that 

such a cute Pokémon was being used for such a bad purpose.

"Not fair, eh?" Erik said, pulling two Pokéballs to each hand. "Well, then, an all-

out fight it is. Prepare for defeat! For it's by Bulby, Oddball, Buttergirl, and Gusty 

you'll be beat!" he cried, throwing all four Pokéballs as their name was called.

"All out battle!" he called to his Pokémon. They all took fighting stances, and 

Erik ordered, "Double team, two to each of theirs!" Bulby grabbed Buttergirl with one 

vine, and held he like a club. With his other he beat at Geodude.

"Buttergirl, Harden!" Erik called. Her shell became a green, sparkling light for a 

moment, and then it hardened, shiny and almost impenetrable. Bulby then began hitting 

Geodude with both his vine and Buttergirl.

At the same time, Oddball and Gusty were engaged in a battle with Growlithe. 

Erik seemed to be winning, and he took the moment to pull out Dexboy.

"Geodude. This rock Pokémon is often thought to be a boulder. If you trip on it, 

it will become very angry. Growlithe. This puppy Pokémon it very loyal to its trainer. 

Although it appears cute, it has strong fire attacks." He said.

Right at this time, Geodude was knocked down by Bulby's vine, and stayed there.

"Geodude, return!" Dereko called, bringing Geodude back. Tagging Jennie, he 

said, "Your turn."

At this time, Growlithe was very mad. It ran at Bulby, and head butted Metapod 

into Erik's arms. Turning quickly, it sprayed a large river of fire from its mouth, 

completely engulfing Bulby and Gusty. Gusty fainted immediately, and Erik called it 

back. Bulby took a moment longer, and then lay down. Erik recalled it was well.

Oddball, alone, stood no chance against Growlithe. There was no time to treat 

any of Erik's Pokémon. Erik broke the one rule held even by Team Rocket. Diving into 

the battle, he scooped up Oddball in his arms and kicked Growlithe away. The small hit 

drove Growlithe into fainting, being so weak from battling Erik's Pokémon.

Dereko and Jennie stood speechless. Not even they dared to sink to the level of 

fighting a Pokémon one on one. What they weren't considering was that Erik hadn't 

kicked Growlithe to win; he had done it to save Oddball. And that wasn't sinking; that 

was rising.

Recalling Oddball, Jennie did the same with Growlithe. Running off, she cried, 

"Well be back boy! And we won't just lose again!" They were soon out of sight.

Running over to Buttergirl, he held her, her shell cracked wide open. 

"Buttergirl…" he whispered. Suddenly, the black of the crack glowed white, and a form 

started to emerge. Slowing folding it's wings out, it flew around happily.

"Butterfree." Dexboy said. "This Butterfly Pokémon is part Flying type, part Bug 

type, and part Psychic type."

Erik recalled Buttergirl and continued, now at a jog to reach Pewter city.

****

Chapter 9

Battles

Erik came to an abrupt stop. Standing in the middle of a field was another boy, 

older than Erik by several years. He wasn't too much taller, though, and they had similar 

builds. He had mid-length hair that was just brushing his eyebrows, dyed a bright blue. 

The boy's eyes were a startling purple, and they seemed to glow. He was standing in the 

field, patiently waiting for something. It almost seemed as if he were waiting for Erik.

He had on long, baggy blue jeans, held up by something that was concealed by his 

black shirt. Over the shirt was a brown vest, with black pockets and seams. The black of 

his vest matched the boy's tennis shoes. Even the shoestrings were black.

He stood much as Erik was standing now. After a moment of silence, the boy 

spoke.

"Come with me." He said, turning and walking into the woods.

"Yeah, sure. First TR tries to kill me, knocking out almost all my Pokémon, and 

then I'm supposed to follow some kid I don't even half know into the woods. Great 

day." He mumbled, but followed.

When he caught up with the boy, Erik glanced at the older boy. _Whoa_, Erik 

thought, _major purple_. It was all he could do not to stare at the eyes. They seemed to 

command attention.

As for the older boy, he simply brushed some hair aside, and continued in silence. 

After a few moments, he lead Erik into a building.

It was hardly a building; it was a one room hut, unfurnished except for a knee-

high table. Into one of the walls was built three shelves. One held books, and the others 

all held different kinds of things. Erik guessed they were for Pokémon, because he 

recognized several from the Viridian City Mart.

The boy walked to the shelves and pulled out three Super Potions and three 

regular Potions.

"Heal your Pokémon." He said. "And then we will battle." He held the items out, 

and Erik used them to heal all of his Pokémon to full health. The boy again led him, 

wordlessly, outside, and back to the field Erik had first met him in.

"Thank you." Erik said. The boy looked at him strangely.

"No thanks is required." He said. "I know you will need help to understand this 

world, and that is why I'm here. But I will not join you unless you beat me in a Pokémon 

battle."

Erik nodded, eager ton have a friend to travel with. "Then let's get going."

The boy spoke, pulling out a Pokéball. Erik did likewise. "We will have an all-

out battle. No limit to the number of Pokémon used, and no time limit. Understood?" 

Erik grinned and nodded. "Very well. "Matt chooses, Pidgeot!" he yelled, throwing the 

Pokéball. As it hit the ground, a Pidgeot streamed up, forming from energy as it flew 

above them.

Erik reared back. "Are you ready? Buttergirl, let's go!" Erik called, throwing 

Buttergirl's Pokéball onto the ground. Buttergirl squealed as it was released.

"Free euiee!" it said.

"Pidgeot!" Matt called. "Wing Attack!"

Pidgeot dove down towards Buttergirl. Buttergirl moved aside, but Pidgeot hit it 

hard with it's wing.

"Buttergirl!" Erik called, concerned. Buttergirl got back up, determined to win.

"Fly!" Matt yelled, and Pidgeot Flew up to where it was just a dot.

"Buttergirl! Fly up near it and use Whirlwind!" Erik called.

Matt laughed as Buttergirl flew up to Pidgeot. As Buttergirl started to create a 

strong wind, he started to say, "Don't you know Whirlwind only blow wild Pokémon 

away? I'm gonna-" he was cut short by Pidgeot being blown down and crash landing at 

his feet. Buttergirl floated down, joyous with winning.

Matt stared at Pidgeot for a moment. Then he looked at Erik. Thrusting out a 

Pokéball, he grimaced. "Pidgeot, return." He said. Returning Pidgeot to his belt, and 

pulling out another Pokéball, he threw it, calling "Alright! Flying is down, so let's go 

Onix! Dig!"

The Pokéball struck the ground, split, and froze, releasing a large amount of 

energy. Erik felt his mouth slowly opening as a two story, rock snake appeared. Its face 

had perpetually angry eyes, complete with a horn.

"Buttergirl, return!" Erik called. The red beam hit Buttergirl dead center and 

brought her back. Pulling another Pokéball, he threw it, crying, "Bulby, let's end this 

now. Go!"

Bulby was released, and it looked like a pebble next to Goliath. But, size 

mattered not, for Erik knew that the Grass type had an advantage over the Rock type.

"Bulby! No chances! Solar Beam, now!" he cried. To his complete surprise, he 

made out Matt's face paling.

As for Bulby, it hunched back on its hind legs. The sun seemed to glow ever so 

much brighter, and light, seemed to bend. But, a wind started to kick up, and the green 

bulb on Bulby's back started to get brighter and brighter until it was almost white. 

Suddenly thrusting his weight forward, a two foot wide beam of pure light energy blew 

it's way through the air with a deafening rip. The beam struck Onix, and blew the giant 

rock Pokémon back, the beam continuing where it had been. Onix fell slowly down, 

crashing to the ground beside its trainer, causing what Erik considered a three-point-

something earthquake.

Matt recalled Onix, and jogged over to shake Erik's hand. "Good match." He 

said. "Good match."

They continued together, Matt grabbing his pack from the hut, locking the door 

behind him. Not that it would have helped. It was practically falling apart anyway. 

They continued, and Matt explained one thing, mostly keeping quiet.

"I was once told, 'The second line is: Who am I? What do I do? You'll find out 

once you get all ten clues!' and told to give you this." He said, handing Erik a small piece 

of green metal. It was like the one Erik had on his medallion, but it had a different 

symbol. Erik pulled out his medallion and placed the piece next to the first one. There 

was brief burst of light, and it was sealed in place.

Together, talking about their lives, they walked, on towards Pewter City, and the 

first of the eight Gyms. _Soon_, Erik thought, _Soon_.

****

Chapter 10

Pewter Badges

Erik and Matt walked into Pewter City in silence, having run out of things to say 

long ago. It was a rather uneventful trip, but Matt had shown Erik his full complement: 

Pidgeot, Onix, Beedrill, and the rare Kangaskahn. Even with that team, Kangaskahn was 

the weakest, only at level 14. Matt had been training it since level 3, which was how he 

had managed to catch it with then Pidgeotto.

Erik, in turn, showed Matt his own team. Bulby, Oddball, Gusty, and Buttergirl. 

Matt explained that he would nickname his Pokémon, but he just couldn't think of any.

Never the less, they arrived at the end of the day, and sat a moment enjoying the 

sunset before stepping into the city. Erik had read about the Pewter City's gym. A 

Pokémon gym was a place where a Pokémon Trainer could compete for a badge, but only 

badges from gyms that the Pokémon League had authorized counted into challenging the 

Elite Four, the ultimate team of Trainers. Pewter Gym was the first gym, and the easiest. 

Erik had also learned that the gym leader was an early riser by the name of Rockellie.

Erik started straight for the gym, but Matt placed a hand on his shoulder, holding 

him back.

"You'll fight best in the morning. Besides, I want the badge too, so let's get it 

together. Okay?" he said.

"I guess you're right. In the morning then. Anywhere to stay?" Erik asked, 

reluctantly agreeing with Matt's advice.

"Okay, you don't seem to know this, but the Pokécenters don't just heal 

Pokémon. They have an entire wing for Trainers to spend the night." Matt chided.

Walking to the Pokécenter, Erik had Matt healed their Pokémon, then got a room.

As soon as they were inside, they fed their Pokémon while the other showered. 

Sitting down at a small table in the room, they discussed strategy. Finally, Matt went into 

a long lecture.

"Okay, Rockellie used three Pokémon, Graveler, Golem, and Onix. The tradition 

is to use rock type Pokémon, since this is a rock city. Pewter. In case you don't already 

know, Erik, you should have a good advantage. Bulby's a grass type, which is strong 

against Rockellie's Grass type. Plus Bulby's at level 83, so you should beat him with no 

prob. As for me, Onix might do, since he's at level 22,but Pidgeot is weak against rock 

type. Beedrill might be able to win, if he were a higher level, and Kangaskahn, even if 

he's a grass type, is too low to stand a chance. I might have to borrow Oddball, 'k?" 

Matt said, summing just about everything up.

"Sure." Was Erik's short and direct response. It was nice to have someone talking 

instead of being alone, Erik decided. And with that, they were asleep as soon as they hit 

the pillows.

Erik opened the door of a large gray building marked simply as "Pewter City 

Gym". Inside, several shouts could be heard. Erik stepped inside, along with Matt, and 

looked around, his eyes just adjusting to the dim light.

"What do you mean I can't take over? I passed all the tests and you said you 

wanted someone young!" a boy about eleven was shouting at a figure in the shadows, 

standing.

"I told you already," the figure said, his voice cold and hard. "It's not anything to 

do with you except that you're way too young! I wanted someone thirteen or fourteen! 

Come back when you've grown up, Brock." He said.

The boy Brock hesitated for a moment. "Then I challenge you! You can't deny a 

challenge, but this is for the gym! If I win, then I become Gym Leader. If you win, I'll 

never bother here again! Two Pokémon each!" he shouted.

With a smirk, the figure jumped and landed on a small, chalk rectangle. "Then let 

the battle begin. Rockellie chooses, Golem!" he shouted, throwing a Pokéball into the 

middle of the ring.

Brock, having drawn back to another white, chalk circle on the opposite side of 

the gym, drew back a Pokéball of his own.

"Geodude, let's go!" he cried, throwing the ball into the ring as well. Both balls 

struck the ground, opening to reveal the Trainer's Pokémon. Brock's Geodude looked 

like Team Rockets, Erik decided, while Golem looked like a big, cracked boulder with 

arms, legs, and a snake head.

So engrossed in the battle was Erik that he didn't think to bring out Dexboy.

"Geodude! Use the speed tackle I taught you!" Brock cried, and Geodude sped to 

a blur, moving around Golem. Erik could just make out Geodude making swipes 

incredibly fast. In a moment, Geodude was panting, and Golem was on the ground.

"Nice, original move. Golem, return. Graveler, I choose you!" Rockellie shouted 

as he put away Golem's Pokéball and threw another. This one looked like a cross 

between Golem and Geodude. Suddenly noticing the similarities, Erik decided that 

Graveler and Golem must be the evolved forms of Geodude, or something like that.

"Geodude, return!" Brock called bringing back Geodude and pulling out another 

Pokéball. "Onix, go!" he cried.

The huge snake formed from energy, and almost touched the incredibly high roof. 

"Underground!" Brock cried.

"Defense curl!" Rockellie cried as Onix leapt up and burrowed under the ground. 

Graveler curled up tightly, but that only made it easier to hit as Onix burst from 

underneath it, blowing it towards the ceiling.

"Graveler, return!" Rockellie cried before Graveler could exit by way of the roof. 

"Nice victory. But what do you plan to do about the holes in my floor?" he asked.

"Onix, return. I don't plan to fight on my floor. I'm going to install a field of 

rocks, so that it will give me a slight advantage." Brock called as he brought Onix back, 

Rockellie walking towards the exit.

"Wait a second!" Matt cried. "Who do we fight for a badge?" he wondered. 

Without turning, Rockellie called, "Him. Good luck, Brock." And he was gone.

Matt was the first person to speak. "Well, are we going to battle or not?" he 

asked.

"Brock smirked at him. "Alright! One Pokémon each, agreed?"

Matt eagerly pulled out a Pokéball. "Agreed. Let's go, Onix!" he called, 

throwing a Pokéball, releasing the giant Pokémon.

Brock's face showed his surprise, but it quickly faded. "Looks like a grudge 

match. Onix, we can beat him!" he cried, throwing his own Pokéball. Brock's Onix was 

completely identical with Matt's, just a couple of feet shorter.

"Onix! Tunnel!" Matt yelled, and Onix burrowed a hole in the floor of the gym.

"Follow it, Onix!" Brock cried, but it was too late.

Matt's Onix burst out of the ground and knocked aside Brock's. The two rock 

Pokémon engaged in a fierce and fast paced battle, diving and lunging around each other 

so fast that when one fell, defeated, neither Brock nor Matt had any idea who had won.

"Uh, Onix, return!" Brock called, pointing his Pokéball at the standing Onix. The 

soft red beam struck it, but did nothing. Brock tried the same with the Onix on the 

ground, but this time, the giant rock snake came into the Pokéball.

"Guess you won." Brock said, shaking Matt's hand and giving him a Boulder 

badge. Matt happily pinned the badge on the inside of his vest. Tagging Erik's hand on 

his way back, he said, "You're up!"

Brock, with Onix defeated, chose Geodude. Erik used Oddball, and KOed 

Geodude with a single Vine Whip. Erik pinned his own Badge, won almost too easily, 

on the inside of his plaid. Erik looked at his plaid as he walked outside. It was the only 

part of him that was dirty, and it was torn. Deciding to buy a vest, Erik questioned Matt 

about it.

Matt said he knew where a store was, and Erik bought a rather expensive gray and 

black vest, which he pinned his badge to. Using Matt's map, they walked out of town, 

still early in the morning, they headed out of Pewter City, and towards the next challenge: 

Mount Moon.

****

Chapter 11

Tiny means Trouble

Erik was just entering some long grass when he caught sight of something golden. 

It was a harsh gold, yet pleasing. He rushed towards it, and found it to be like a balloon, 

round, big eyes, and a tuft of hair above it's forehead.

"Jigglypuff." Dexboy said, displaying a picture of the creature, only white. "This 

Pokémon uses its alluring eyes to enrapture its foe. It then sings a pleasing melody that 

lulls the for to sleep. Legends tell of the rare Golden Jigglypuff," he said, displaying a 

picture that looked more like this Jigglypuff, "that sings wonderful songs that are much 

more effective than a normal Jigglypuff. It has only been seen a few times and is 

considered a mirage by most experts. Witnesses insist that it remains so elusive that only 

the small babies are ever seen."

Closing Dexboy, Erik glanced at Matt.

"Does look kinda small." He whispered. "It's yours."

Erik smiled. "Buttergirl!" he said, "Let's go!" he called, throwing the Pokéball 

towards the Jigglypuff. Buttergirl dwarfed the tiny Pokémon, which Erik's Pokédex had 

confirmed as a girl. "Confusion!" he said, using Buttergirl's newly learned attack. The 

air around her and Jigglypuff shimmered, and Jigglypuff's eyes were practically in 

spirals.

"Pokéball, go!" Erik called, and the tiny thing was sucked inside. Despite being 

so weak, the Pokéball gave a fierce shake before the red warning light went off.

"Yes!" Erik called, hugging Buttergirl and grabbing the Pokéball. "Can you 

believe it Matt?" he asked. Taking on a strange accent, he said, "I done caught me a 

Golden Tiny." Dropping the accent, he looked serious. "Yeah…How about calling you 

Tiny?" Erik said, tossing the Pokéball down and giving Tiny a Potion. Suddenly, the 

little thing started crying.

"What's wrong?" Erik asked, picking up the tiny golden thing.

A stream of tears and "Jigglypuff"s followed.

"I think she misses her parents." Matt said. Suddenly, Buttergirl swooped down 

and picked up Tiny on her back. As she swooped around and squealed, Tiny gripped 

tight and laughed, having fun and forgetting the tears.

Elsewhere, watching from not so far away, Dereko and Jamie watched through 

the special Team Rocket field binoculars. In other words, they looked through very 

large, and cheap, binoculars.

"That Jigglypuff looks mighty tempting. Do you think the boss would like it if 

we took it instead? It does look rather rare…" Dereko said in a whining voice.

"Maybe…I think we should forget that little Bulbasaur…Anyone else could have 

one even higher. Let's change the mission to go after the Golden Jigglypuff instead!" 

Jamie said, using the obvious for no particular reason. Turing back to her binoculars, she 

said, "I think it's time we made our entrance…"

Buttergirl was playing mother while she rose and dived, letting Tiny's squeals of 

delight urge her on. Suddenly, two explosions of red and blue smoke went off behind 

her. Erik and Matt immediately knew who it was; the following cries only confirmed it.

"To lay claim to all the universe."

"To get rid of all Joys who nurse."

"To engage all who oppose in Pokémon battles."

"To win, and take back what they have taken from us adults."

"Dereko!"

"Jennie!"

"Team Rocket, here to win and take what we want!"

"Hand you Pokémon over or we won't just taunt!"

Erik and Matt both drew their Pokéballs. Erik chose Bulby's; Matt grabbed one 

Erik didn't remember. In response, Jennie and Dereko both drew two Pokéballs, totally 

black, with a red "R" on the front.

"You won't find it easy to beat us now!" Jennie said. "Growlithe, Magmar, go!" 

she cried, throwing both Pokéballs.

"That's right!" Dereko said as he threw both of his also. "Geodude, Machop, 

go!" he yelled.

Erik pulled out Dexboy. "Magmar. This lava Pokémon has a body of flames, 

enabling it to live in its preferred home of a volcano's lava pit. Machop. This fighting 

Pokémon loves competition. It trains in all forms of Martial Arts to become even 

stronger." He said.

"In that case," Matt said, "I'll take on Jennie. Onix! Go!" he cried, throwing his 

Pokéball. Selecting another, he called, "Go, Pidgeot!"

Erik kept Bulby's Pokéball. "Bulby! Buttergirl! Let's go!" he yelled, sending 

the Pokémon into battle.

"Magmar! Growlithe! Team Fire Blast!" Jennie yelled. The two fire Pokémon 

spit out a huge star-shaped flame which hit Onix, even though it didn't budge.

"Geodude! Rock Throw! Machop! Karate Chop, now!" Dereko yelled.

Geodude picked up a boulder, but Bulby smacked it hard with his vines. Soon, 

Geodude fainted. Machop, on the other hand jumped up high a chopped at Buttergirl, 

knocking her to the ground. Tiny squealed from Erik's arms, where Buttergirl had 

dropped it to keep her safe. Buttergirl was KOed, and Erik called her back. Dereko did 

likewise with Geodude. All in all, Erik's battle was down to Bulby versus Machop.

Meanwhile, in Matt's battle, Onix was wrapped around Magmar, the flames from 

Magmar's body not hurting it while Magmar was being squeezed. Growlithe had already 

fainted from Pidgeot's repeated dives and swipes with its claws.

Suddenly, Machop caught Bulby's vines and used them to toss Bulby around, 

finally throwing him up in the air and slamming him down. Erik had to recall him, and 

Onix suddenly fainted from Magmar flaring up.

Geodude was no match for Magmar, and Matt had to call it back.

"It's over, boy. Now hand over that little Jigglypuff, before we take it!" Jennie 

said.

"Never!" Erik shouted. Tiny was squirming hard now, and slipped out of Erik's 

grip as he tried to hold on to her. She jumped onto the field, looking even smaller against 

Machop.

"Machop! Karate Chop!" Jennie yelled.

Tiny crouched, if possible, as Machop leaped high into the air. As Machop 

slammed its hand down, it hit dirt instead of Tiny, who had leapt a dozen or so feet up.

"What?" Jennie and Dereko asked in unison.

"Alright!" Erik called, recognizing from his Trainer's Guide what Tiny was 

doing. "Pound!" he yelled.

Tiny, being so light, was just at the top of her jump, and puffed up until she was 

just a big ball of gold. Falling fast, she hit the confused Machop in the head, KOing the 

karate Pokémon.

"No!" Jennie cried. "Machop! Return!" she said, calling back the spiral-eyed 

Machop.

Running off, they cried, "We'll be back! And we won't lose!" And they faded 

into the distance.

After rejoicing, Matt said, "You do realize, they won't stop until they have Tiny."

"I know." Erik said. "But if good thing come in tiny packages, like Tiny, we 

shouldn't have any problem. But still, Tiny will mean trouble, but it's worth it. Don't 

you think? He asked.

"Jig" Tiny agreed from his shoulder. Laughing, and on the road to Mount Moon, 

Erik, Matt, and Tiny enjoyed their time.

****

Chapter 12

Goodbye, Wind

Erik woke up refreshed, ready to move on, and got ready to head through Mount 

Moon. Thinking of the famous mountain, he glanced up, looking at the tall, ominous 

peak in the distance, growing ever larger as they grew closer.

Erik had called out Gusty, just to let him spread his wings. He flew around a 

while, before calling a loud squawk. Running over, Erik saw a young boy, wearing 

shorts and a t-shirt.

The boy was about to call out a Pokémon to battle when Erik intervened. "Hey!" 

he said. "That's my Pokémon!" Erik blushed when he realized how possessive he had 

sounded.

But the boy seemed not to notice. Enlarging a Pokéball, he replied, "Then let's 

battle!" He reared back in a strange pose, then threw the Pokéball to the ground. "Eevee, 

I choose you!" he called.

In a mass of red light, the Pokéball opened to reveal a canine like Pokémon. It 

had a mane of white fur around its neck, with a fierce red stripe on the front. The rest of 

it was brown, except for its long, furry tail that was also that fierce shade of red.

"Eevee." Dexboy said. "Its genetic code is unstable, so it could evolve in a 

variety of ways. There are only a few alive. This particular Eevee is a female."

"Gusty!" Erik called. He still didn't really know Gusty too well. "Gust attack!" 

he called, reveling at the way Gusty's name had sounded like an adjective.

"Eevee! Take Down!" the boy countered. Eevee sped up greatly, and charged 

straight at Gusty. When she was close enough, she jumped fast towards Gusty. But she 

never reached him, as his powerful wings created a literal gust of wind, blowing the small 

animal back to the ground.

"Sand Attack!" the boy cried, and Eevee kicked up a cloud of dust.

"Blow it away with Whirlwind!" Erik said. When the dust cleared, Eevee 

suddenly jumped up and knocked Gusty to the ground.

Gusty stood back up ready to fight some more, and Eevee ran back to her trainer, 

awaiting his command.

"Eevee." He said, holding out his Pokéball. "Return." He said, and Eevee was 

brought back inside by the thin, transparent beam.

"Why'd you do that?" Erik asked, wondering why he had just recalled his healthy 

Pokémon.

"I don't really wish to fight you anymore. It would be a great battle, but I don't 

really stand a chance." He sadly looked at the Pokéball. "I've tried to raise Eevee to be 

stronger, but I'm just no good with Normal types. I'm best with Flying types, like your 

Pidgey. I…I was wondering…Do you want to trade?

"Trade?" Erik asked, confused as to what.

"Yeah. You could probably raise Eevee much better than I could, and I would 

love to have a chance to train your Pidgey. Is it a male?" he asked.

"Yes." Erik replied cautiously.

"That's great!" the boy cried. "I have a female Pidgey, along with a few other 

flying types. If they got together, maybe they could…well, you know. I would much 

rather breed Pokémon than battle. So…will you trade with me? Your Pidgey for my 

Eevee?"

Erik really wasn't sure. "Matt?" he said. "Do you think I should trade?"

"Sure." Was Matt's reply. "A lot of people do it, and it would be great to train a 

rare Pokémon."

After thinking a moment, Erik decided to let Gusty decide. "Pidgey!" was his 

reply, an enthusiastic "Yes!"

Erik recalled Gusty to his Pokéball and walked over to the boy. "How do you 

trade?" he asked.

The boy responded by pulling out a Pokédex similar to Erik's but blue. "First, get 

your Pokédex out." As Erik did so and opened it, he said, "Do you see that small red 

button on the side? If you press it, it lets a transfer plate slide out. All you have to do is 

aim your Pokédex at mine, place your Pokéball on the circle there, and we hit the 

Transfer button at the same time." He pointed to another small button, on the inside of 

Erik's flip-out plate.

Erik minimized Gusty's Pokéball so that it would fit on the plate, and set it down. 

After the boy had done the same, he said, "One, two three." And they both pushed the 

button.

The black band on Gusty's ball began to glow a bright shade of red, as did the ball 

on the boy's Pokédex. At the same time, both the balls glowed sparkling white and 

disappeared. They reappeared a split second later, though. Erik guessed they had been 

switched, but he let out Eevee just to be sure.

She popped out and jumped on him, knocking him and Tiny down, and started to 

lick his face. Laughing, Erik said, "She's like a tiny flame. Couldn't we have just 

switched the two balls by hand?"

"Maybe." The boy said. "But it has to be recorded. Otherwise, you could be 

arrested because you had stolen Pokémon." A woman's voice called. "Gotta go." He 

said, leaning down to pet Eevee for the last time. "Maybe you should called her that." He 

said, before he sped off and disappeared.

"What? Flame?" Erik said. He considered it a moment. "Why not?" He stood 

off a waved. "Goodbye, Gusty!" he yelled. Softly, under his breath, he said something 

else. "Goodbye, Wind."

Flame, Erik, Tiny, and Matt walked a few moments in silence. Soon, they came 

upon the cave entrance. Flame sniffed the air, then bounded into the cave. Running 

behind her, Erik noticed that she suddenly stopped and started to dig into the ground.

Erik kneeled down and started to dig as well. Soon he had uncovered a small, 

thin wedge of a circle, white, with an engraved symbol. Erik immediately knew where it 

went. He slipped it into it's spot in his medallion. A bright flash of light seared it into 

piece, and green metal. He was beginning to see the shape that all the engraved symbols 

made, when he heard a loud screeching.

"Uh oh." Matt said. "Zubat! That flash must have upset them."

Suddenly, a large cloud of bats flew from around a corner, heading angrily and 

dead center towards them.

Flame said something that Tiny translated as meaning, "'When long ago this clue 

was buried, a cloud of suckers caused great hurry!'"

****

Chapter 13

Zubat Attack

"Zubat." Dexboy said. "This bat Pokémon is part Poison Type, part Flying Type. 

Zubat live in colonies or groups in dark places such as caves or tunnels. They use 

ultrasonic waves as a type of RADAR for finding enemies and navigation in pitch black 

darkness." The cloud of Zubat was getting dangerously close. "Zubat are not observed 

to be an aggressive type of Pokémon." He said, before Erik closed him and put Dexboy in 

his pocket.

"Well," Matt said, "May they officially be recorded as 'aggressive'. Run!" he 

cried. They both turned to where boy—from whom Erik had gotten Flame from—had 

gone.

The Zubat were already close, and Matt and Erik were knocked to the ground as 

they started to attack. In fact, as Erik and Matt were getting weaker, the Zubat seemed to 

be getting more and more hyped.

"Leech Life!" Matt yelled over the sounds of the Zubat. "They drain our energy 

to heal themselves!" he stood up defiantly, and several Zubat backed off and hovered, 

weary. "Onix! Pidgeot! Go!" he yelled, throwing two Pokéballs up. Pidgeot streamed 

upwards from the Pokéball, and Onix formed.

Following his lead, Erik chose his own two Pokémon. "Bulby! Use your Vine 

Whip! Oddball! Razor Leaf!" he cried.

"Oddball knows Razor Leaf?!?!" Matt said, surprised. "But…Oddish don't learn 

that attack…"

Erik grinned. "Well, this just keeps getting better and better, doesn't it?"

Bulby was knocking out Zubat after Zubat, but there were too many. Soon, Bulby 

was so low that Erik was forced to call him back. In fear of the same happening to 

Oddball, he called her back as well.

"Onix!" Matt cried and Onix fell, taking out a dozen more Zubat with his bulk. 

"Return!" he called, and Onix, transformed back into energy, came back inside the 

Pokéball. "Pidgeot! Agility, now!" Pidgeot suddenly became much more agile, and 

started to dart in between the Zubat and hit them with a Wing Attack occasionally. 

"Whirlwind them away!" Matt ordered. Pidgeot was still for a moment, but before it 

could begin to powerfully flap its wings, the Zubat clustered over it, knocking it to the 

ground.

"Drat! Return!" Matt called, bring Pidgeot back.

Suddenly, a Pokéball was thrown into the mass of Zubat, accompanied by, 

"Mankey! Thrash!"

The Pokéball opened and revealed a ball of fur, about half as tall as Erik, with a 

pig nose, long bare tail, hands in fists, and short ears, appeared. Its eyes were narrowed 

in rage, and they glowed a red. Moving faster than Pidgeot, and much more agile, it 

punched right and left, not to mention behind, and knocked out almost every single Zubat 

there. The remaining foes returned to the caves.

A boy, a little younger than Erik, appeared. He had short, dirty blond hair, but it 

still fell in his eyes. He brushed it aside as he ran up to Mankey, jumped to give it a high 

five, and fell as it punched him, not completely recovered from its attack. Before the boy 

recalled it, Erik managed to get out Dexboy.

"Mankey." Dexboy said. Erik wished once again that his voice sounded a little 

less mechanical. "It does not take much to get this Fighting Type Pokémon angry. It 

may be calm one minute, then thrashing about the next." Erik grimaced at the bad pun. 

"Known for superb footwork, Mankey packs a very powerful punch. It can easily avoid 

special techniques because it is quicker and more agile than most Pokémon."

Erik reached a hand down, and helped up the boy, who was rubbing his face 

where Mankey's fist had landed.

"Hi!" he said. "Saw you in a bit of trouble there, thought I'd lend a hand. I'm 

Josh." He said, extending his hand.

"Hi." Erik said. "I'm Erik, this is Matt." He said, shaking Josh's hand.

"Uh, you wouldn't happen to know why those Zubat attacked, would you?" Josh 

asked.

"No." Erik said. "But I heard that they're not supposed to be aggressive."

"Well, that's why I wanted to know. You on your way to Cerulean?" he asked.

Erik remembered about Cerulean City from the handbook. After you traveled 

through Mt. Moon, you ended up on the route to Cerulean City, a town with a Pokémon 

Gym. It was said that the gym leader favored Water Type Pokémon. Erik, again, would 

have it easy, because Grass Type was strong against Water. And Water was strong 

against Rock. Bad news for Matt, again.

"Yeah." He said. "After we find…something…in Mt. Moon." Erik smiled.

"Cool!" Josh said. "I live there! Well, I used to, until I moved on to train." He 

said. "Here, I'll show you the way." He offered, and without a word led them towards 

Mt. Moon.

Erik looked at Matt, but he just shrugged. They followed Josh.

After they were inside, Erik noticed that it really wasn't too dark. Tiny suddenly 

jumped down from his shoulder, just as Josh was starting to talk about his other 

Pokémon. Erik didn't catch the rest of what he said; he was chasing after Tiny. Tiny 

stopped over a spot and started to dig. Erik helped her, since after a moment, she hadn't 

gone very far.

"Jig! Jiggily, jig! Puff! Jig-ily-puff!" she yelled. Erik came across a small, round 

disk. Something was engraved in it, but he dug around it. Jigglypuff said something 

about it being the Air Disk. Erik simply didn't care. He put it aside and dug on, until he 

found what he was looking for. A piece of green metal, part of a symbol engraved. Erik 

heard something like Zubat in the distance, but he dismissed it as just something he 

imagined. Placing the "Air Disk" back, and covering it, Josh and Matt finally arrived.

"Hey." Josh said. 'Why'd ya do that?" he asked.

"I'll show you." Erik said. Placing the piece next to the others, the fourth clue 

was found. A bright flash of light filled it into place, but it seemed to be slightly longer, 

as if the more clues he found, the stronger the power generating the flash was.

"Whoa!" Josh said, then looked at Erik. "I heard about you. Someone said that a 

guy would do just what you did. Jeez, I didn't believe him." He was amazed. "'You 

have come very far on your way. Complete the circle and learn the plays.' Was 

something the guy said. Said something about it bein' the fourth line or something." He 

was interrupted, but Erik was glad he wasn't afraid of him. He seemed like a good 

friend.

"Hey!" someone's voice cried. "Does your Jigglypuff know Flash?" A girl 

asked, running into view. Erik didn't notice, but Matt's smile dropped and his mouth 

opened as he saw the girl.

She was dressed in a red shirt, blue jeans, and had on a black backpack She had 

fiery red hair, long, and a pleasant complexion. She was looking at Erik, but she stopped 

dead, her own smile dropping as she glanced at Matt.

At the same time, in unison, they both shouted, "You!"

Erik and Josh exchanged glances. Something told them to stay out of this one, 

and they both moved towards the cave wall.

A shouting match ensued between Matt and the girl, whom Matt finally addressed 

as Rachel.

Before she could retort, Erik heard an all too familiar noise.

"Hold it!" Erik said, playing on what he had heard between the two. "This little 

lover's spat can be dealt with later! Right now, we've got—"

He was interrupted as another cloud of Zubat appeared.

"Jeez, they could at least wait until you finish the introduction!" Josh said. "Let's 

split!" he said, running down the tunnel.

Erik took off too. He didn't notice Matt grabbing Rachel's wrist.

Together, Erik, Josh, and Matt, pulling Rachel along, ran a top speed down the 

tunnel. Unfortunately, the Zubat were gaining. Suddenly, Josh took the lead in a burst 

of speed, taking a quick right down a different tunnel. Erik and Matt followed, Rachel 

still being pulled along. The Zubat were confusing each other, their echolocation causing 

a lot "pictures" to be "seen." All the different angles of reflection of the high pitched 

sounds made the Zubat unable to "see" clearly. In short, Erik decided, the group lost the 

Zubat.

Puffing, Erik and company rested. After a moment, Erik stood back up. "We 

gotta reach Cerulean." He said, not adding that they had better hurry before the Zubat 

found out they had been lost.

Reluctantly, the group got up and joined him. They walked in silence for a 

moment, until they reached a fork.

"Which way?" Erik asked, more to himself than to anyone else. He was too tired 

from tried to escape from insane Zubat to bother getting out a map.

"I don't know." Josh said. "I got mixed up when we ran." He admitted 

sheepishly.

"I've only been through here once." Matt said. Rachel remained silent, glaring at 

Matt. "Will you stop doing that?"

Erik simply sighed as Matt and Rachel started in another argument. Reaching 

into his pack, he pulled out his handbook.

"That your handbook?" Rachel said, gesturing towards his handbook.

"Yeah." Erik said. This was the first time she had spoken to anyone besides Matt.

"It's old as everything." She said, reaching into her pack. "Here." She said, 

handing him a book. 

He looked at it. It was called The Official Pokémon Handbook by Maria S. 

Barbo. There were three Pokémon on the front, ringed by a lot of different kinds of 

Pokémon. Among them, he knew Bulbasaur, Golem, Caterpie, and Eevee. Flipping 

through it, Erik noticed that it had pages of text, as well as information on all of the 

known Pokémon.

"Thanks." He said. He didn't know what else to say.

"Keep it." She said, looking at Matt out of the side of her eyes.

Erik did not like this, the way she seemed to be trying to make Matt jealous. It 

would do nothing but drive him and Matt apart. At least, Erik thought, this proves that 

she still likes him.

As for Matt, he appeared not to notice. He was in a conversation with Josh about 

Mankey, how he fed it, trained it, etc. But Erik noticed that he was giving quick, sad 

glances at them. Josh never noticed through his excitement about Mankey.

That set Erik thinking happier thoughts. Josh really seemed to love Mankey. He 

mentally laughed, thinking how he would have called them "Mankies" earlier in the day.

Erik looked at a detailed map of Mt. Moon. Finding where they were, he led on. 

It turned out that they had unwittingly taken a shortcut that would lead them to Cerulean 

at least by the end of the day.

Erik, Josh, Matt, and Rachel walked, exhausted, into the Cerulean City Pokémon 

Center. After they had all showered and gotten rooms, Erik lay down on his bed. It was 

a bit unfair, he decided, that Rachel got a room to herself while she made the boys share a 

room between the three of them.

Trying, once again, to think of different things, Erik got out the handbook Rachel 

had given him, flipping to the section on the Pokémon.

"Bulbasaur is a strong, manageable Pokémon for beginning trainers. No one's 

sure whether Bulbasaur and its evolutions are plant or animal. They seem to have the 

characteristics of both. A strange bulb was planted on Bulbasaur's back at birth. As 

Bulbasaur grows, the bulb becomes a large leafy plant. Bulbasaur is in better shape than 

other beginning Pokémon like Charmander or Squirtle—which makes it harder to 

capture." was the detailed section of the part on Bulbusaur.

Erik's mind, inevitable, wandered, and he found himself thinking of a subject he 

had unconsciously avoided for a while; Laury. He was amazed—and distressed—to find 

that he could still recall everything about their brief meeting. Her chin length, dark 

brown hair, like his, although his wasn't as long; his bangs were where they had always 

been cut—his eyebrows. Her sparkling blue eyes, alive with life. And, sadly, Erik also 

recalled her strange disappearance. Fading away, almost as if she was transformed _into_

the strange, blue mist.

Matt cut off the lights, Josh snoring quietly, and Erik's book lying by his pack. 

Erik eyes were closed, trying to envision more vividly Laury's disappearance.

Erik suddenly recalled _how_ the mist had gone. It hadn't faded into nothingness, 

or even dissipated into the air. The way the tiny little wisps of it had seemed to glow, 

barley noticeable because they glowed only a brighter shade of that electric blue, not any 

white or other color. It was almost as if they had been _teleporting_ somewhere, like the 

Abra he had read about did, since it couldn't fight very well.

_Yes,_ Erik thought to himself, losing any coherent thought as he drifted off to 

sleep. _Teleporting somewhere…_

Erik eyes snapped open, his mind racing. What if that was it? What if Laury 

hadn't really died, or something? What if she had had actually been _moved_ somewhere, 

by some force unseen?

His thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door. He heard Josh jerk awake, 

and Matt groan. Nurse Joy poked her head inside and turned on the lights. She was 

greeted with protests and groans. "Time to wake up!" she said cheerfully. "Oh, come, 

come, boys. It's nearly nine o'clock! I don't usually let trainers sleep this late, but," she 

paused, turning a slight shade of red. "but, my alarm didn't go off, and the Chansey 

who were on the night shift forgot and kept working. Either way, UP!" she said, ranting 

about something else as she walked off.

"Nine o'clock?" Erik echoed. "I thought I just got to bed!"

"No way." Matt said. "I cut the lights at ten-forty. I call shower!" he yelled, then 

grabbed his pack and jumped into the room without further ado.

"How ya doing, Erik?" Josh said, yawning as he stumbled over to his pack.

"Not sure." Erik frowned at the shower being turned on. "I feel like I just 

blinked."

"Yeah, that happened to me once. Say, what type do you train?" Josh asked.

Erik was confused. "What?"

"I said, what type Pokémon do you train? A lot of trainers only train one type or 

another. Like, Fighting types, Water, Fire. Others, like me, have an all round team. 

What about you?" he explained.

"Oh." Erik hadn't really thought about it. "I guess I'm an all round trainer, but if 

I had to, I guess I would pick the Grass type to train." He brightened at the thought. "I 

mean, I've looked them up, and I want to get all the grass types. They'd be really 

strong!"

"Yeah." Josh agreed. "Especially if they were strong enough to withstand a Fire 

type Pokémon."

Erik noticed the shower being turned off. "I call next!"

By the time Erik got out of the shower, Rachel had gotten into their room. Erik 

was relieved to find Matt and Rachel had made up their little "dispute" and were 

obviously back to liking one another. Good for Matt. One less problem for Erik to worry 

about. Josh took a quickie shower and they were off, after picking up their Pokémon 

from Nurse Joy.

Erik thought about it for a moment, and then decided to mark his Pokéballs so that 

he could tell his Pokémon apart. He let all of his Pokémon out as he walked down the 

road, setting the miniature balls on his belt so that they were arranged from the strongest 

to weakest; Bulby, Oddball, Buttergirl, Flame, Tiny.

Matt asked what he was doing, and Erik told him. Matt liked the idea, and started 

to mark his own Pokéballs.

Erik borrowed some paint pens from Rachel, who seemed to have just about 

anything a person could want, and started on Bulby's Pokéball as soon as they sat down 

in a café to eat breakfast. Carefully, Erik outlined a elegant **B**, over which was a smaller 

****

EM, in green. After a moment's thought, Erik carefully drew a complex arrangement of 

vines and leaves all over the Pokéball. Two big ones came from a bulb drawn at the very 

top of the Pokéball.

Oddball was next, and Erik followed a similar pattern, drawing a green **O** instead 

of a **B**, and covered the Pokéball in leaves.

Buttergirl got a **BG** and butterflies with flowers.

Next in line was Flame. Erik was about to put a big, red **F** on it, when he realized 

that that might give the wrong idea. Instead, he wrote, in a bit smaller letters, her entire 

name. All he needed to do was draw a single flame.

Lastly, there was Tiny. Erik drew a very small **T** in gold and decorated the ball 

with large eyes to match Tiny's. Erik sat back as he finished the set.

Matt had drawn a intricate set of lines on all of his Pokéballs' top halves, like 

Erik. Interweaved into each above the emitter, but clear, were the names of all his 

Pokémon.

They ate, and Erik thought about something that had been nagging him.

"Say, Josh…" Erik began.

"Yeah?" Josh replied through a mouthful of pancakes.

"You've been a pretty good help to us, and we would have been creamed by those 

Zubat if you hadn't helped. I was wondering, if it's alright with Rachel and Matt—that 

is, if Rachel is going to keep on journeying with us—if you would like to join us?" Erik 

glanced as Rachel and Matt.

"Sure." Matt said.

"Fine with me." Rachel replied.

Erik looked at Josh.

"Sure!" he said. "I'd love to!"

Suddenly, they heard a scream. Jumping up, the newly formed group headed 

outside. People were fleeing everywhere, running or driving wildly.

"What happened?" Erik shouted at a passing man. He stopped to catch his breath. 

There was fear in his eyes.

"Zubat!" the man said. "A whole cloud of them is invading the city! I've never 

seen anything like it! They're not supposed to be aggressive!" he said. "Look!" he 

pointed back from where he had come from. "That's them!"

"Where?" Erik asked. His stomach suddenly dropped as he realized what the man 

was pointing to: the direction where the entire sky, a large portion too, was completely, 

midnight black.

Suddenly, a voice came over the city-wide PA. "Attention all Pokémon Trainers! 

If you have any Pokémon good against Flying or Poison Types, report to the Zubat cloud 

immediately for assistance!!" came the voice of Officer Jenny. She didn't have to tell the 

trainers _where_ the cloud was.

Without word, the group ran top speed against the flow of the crowd. When they 

arrived at the scene, they saw several Pokémon fighting the cloud of Zubat, unbelievably 

huge. The other Pokémon were soon beaten, and the trainers recalled them and fled.

"Alright guys!" Erik yelled, trying to be heard. "All out attack! Everything you 

got!"

They all nodded and pulled out Pokéballs.

"Bulby, Oddball, Buttergirl, Flame, Tiny, attack!" Erik yelled, throwing all the 

newly decorated Pokéballs.

As they emerged, Matt threw his own. "Pidgeot! Onix! Beedrill! Kangaskahn! 

Let's ride!"

"Growlithe, Charmander, Ponyta, Vulpix! Group attack!" Rachel yelled, 

revealing her complement of Fire Pokémon.

"Now, my turn!" Josh called. "Mankey, Jolteon, Growlithe, Psyduck, Hitmonlee, 

Hitmonchan, show them what we're made of!" he cried. He was obviously proud of 

being the trainer with the most Pokémon.

"Impressive." Rachel said.

"Should be. I started last year, and they've never been trained better." Josh 

replied.

Suddenly, a girl ran up beside them. Not bothering to introduce herself, she 

tossed three Pokéballs. "Kadabra! Butterfree! Venonat! Psybeam!" As all three of the 

strange Pokémon started to be surrounded by a blue aurora, she turned to Josh. "Call off 

your Fighting Types! They're weak against Flying and Poision, exactly like Zubat!" she 

yelled at him

Reluctantly, Josh recalled them; Mankey, Hitmonlee, and Hitmonchan. "The rest 

can take 'em!" he said.

Suddenly, the three Pokémon the girl had tossed out shot bright blue beams of 

energy. They flew straight through the dense cloud of Zubat, knocking everything they 

hit to the ground.

The battle raged, but the Zubat simply had numbers. Everyone's Pokémon fought 

their hardest, but in the end, the odds were too great. One by one, the Pokémon had to be 

recalled. The could passed them, moving on towards Cerulean. Erik fell to his knees, 

while everyone else slumped down, defeated. Erik lowered his head in shame, but not 

before looking at the blotch of darkness against the sky. Suddenly, the Zubat turned, and 

headed for _him_.

He stood up, the other sprinting.

"Come on Erik!" Matt yelled.

_It's you_, a voice, fluid, soothingly, said in his head. It was so familiar… _Use it._

"Wha…What?" Erik said, more to himself.

"Come on!" Matt started to go back, but Rachel and Josh held him back, forcing 

him to run the other way. Finally, he broke away, and started to run back, but stopped a 

dozen yards away. The others joined him.

"Erik!" Matt practically screamed. "We gotta _go!_"

"Go on." Erik said. "It's me they want. I don't know how, but I know they want 

__

me."

There was so much conviction in his voice that Matt didn't argue.

__

Use it. It will save you. The voice said in his head. Why was it so familiar?

"Use what?" Erik asked, too softly for the others to hear. He was transfixed by 

the cloud growing closer by the second.

There was a silence. Erik thought he knew the voice, he almost had it…

It slipped through his fingers as he heard the next voice, the same voice. _You are _

the Grass Master. It said. And then he grasped it. And he knew who it was.

His chest was burning, so he pulled at his shirt to try and cool off. He gasped as 

his hand grabbed something red-hot, yet cool.

Erik pulled out a medallion glowing more white than green. _He was the Grass _

Master… But he wasn't. He was no hero. How could he find something that had been 

lost forever? Erik dropped the medallion to his shirt. It grew brighter and brighter until 

he had to shield his eyes. Squinting, he felt a kick blow him back, and he landed on his 

back in front of his friends, mud splattering from a fresh rain. Looking up, he saw a huge 

beam of intense green-white firing towards the Zubat.

As the beam grew closer to the Zubat, it expanded wider and wider until it was a 

wall.

And then that wall struck the Zubat.

Thousands of cries were heard as the Zubat struck a wall of pure Grass energy. 

Erik's eyes were huge as he saw what the medallion had done. It had stopped glowing, 

and he put it back in his shirt.

"What the crap was that?!" Rachel and the new girl shouted in unison.

"I wish I knew." Erik said, and his voice prompted no further comments.

__

You are the Grass Master.

****

Chapter 14

The Finding

Erik knew the colors. Deep purple, jet black, leaf green at dusk. He also knew 

the clouds, swirling above, below, around him. The way all the dark colors blended into 

a complete, moonless night. But this was not a night; it was not even outside.

He was expecting the mass that could, and couldn't be seen. And it appeared, as 

always, in the deep green cloak, motionless.

"The Mystic's sword Gassiter is hidden below. Where, only I know." He said, 

deep voice flowing. Erik looked down towards a growing brightness. The first clue he 

had found was glowing, and seeping into the empty space next to it, filling it until both 

parts were filled with a blinding whiteness.

"Who am I? What do I do?" the figure continued. "You'll find out once you get 

all ten clues."

Erik was still watching the medallion, which seemed weightless, pulsing with 

energy. It seemed to try to pull away as the second clue glowed, just as the first, and 

filled the empty space next to it. He noticed, for the first time, how all four clues were 

separated.

"When long ago this clue was buried," the soothing voice said as the third clue 

glowed and filled yet another empty space. "a cloud of suckers caused great hurry."

Erik could not look at the form from which the voice was coming from, as the 

medallion was starting to drift and float upwards, facing him, six of nine places glowing 

bright white, almost green. Finally, the last clue started to glow, and the figure spoke 

again.

"You have come very far on your way." He said, pausing as the empty space 

filled, a full circle surrounding a central core, save for one slot left for the last clue, the 

final one. The medallion hovered inches from Erik's face. He could feel the sheer power 

of it, and something deeper, as if a voice, too familiar, were speaking to him, a voice that 

could only be heard when all was quiet, and not even the silence dared to be known.

Finally, the figure finished the fourth clue's verse. "Complete the circle," he 

paused. "Complete the circle, and learn the plays."

Erik understood now.

"Erik!"

"What!?" Erik yelled, jumping, being ripped away from the world that had made 

so much clear to him. Instinctively he grabbed his medallion; there were only four pieces 

of metal there.

"Gosh! I've been trying to wake you up for the past ten minutes! If you hadn't 

been breathing and murmuring I would have thought you were dead!" Matt said, concern 

overtaking his anger.

"Sorry." Erik said. "I was…somewhere else."

"That's for sure." Josh put in. "C'mon. Let's get going."

They headed for the east side of Cerulean. Josh said he had something from 

Lavender Town that he needed to pick up, and everyone agreed to help him. The only 

challenge was Rock Tunnel, a long network of caves that were the only route to 

Lavender, besides passing through Saffron City. But Josh said he didn't care much for 

large cities and besides, there were fighting Pokémon to be found in Rock Tunnel.

The group was strangely quiet, as if the overcast sky had done the same to their 

mouths. Still, Erik enjoyed the crisp air, and the sea breeze coming from the north.

Their path to the caves was blocked by trees again, but Rachel was ready with 

her newly evolved Charmeleon.

"Watch out," Josh cautioned. "This path is riddled with trainers looking for 

battles."

"Hey!" said a girl, running up to Josh. As if to illustrate his point, she asked, 

"You wanna battle?"

Several battles later, they made it into the cave, to another problem: It was pitch 

black. Rachel again solved this problem with Charmeleon; the light from its burning tail 

lit their way.

Erik was still immersed in his dream, thinking about what it meant. He chided 

himself; he knew what it meant. Only one spot was left, and he had been told to 

complete the circle, which meant what he had been doing: find the next piece.

"Hey, what's that?" Isako said. She turned and looked at Erik, walking 

backwards.

"What?" Erik was lost for a second. "Oh, this. It's something I've had for a 

while. You're telling me you didn't notice it with the Zubat?" he said. He had not 

noticed that he was fingering the medallion.

"That was the medallion? I thought it was you." She said. She suddenly tripped 

over a rock and fell into Josh, who was in the lead. They both fell, knocking Matt down 

as well. Rachel darted forward to avoid falling.

They laughed, until Isako groaned, holding her leg.

"What is it?" Josh asked, his face betraying his hidden concern

"Some stupid piece of metal. Probably rusted or something. Bet I'll have to get a 

Tetanus shot." She twisted up her face and thrust the small piece of metal past Erik. A 

familiar glint, something in the color, or perhaps even instinct, caused him to suddenly 

grab out and catch it.

"What?" Isako asked.

"It might—" Matt began, looking at the piece, then at Erik's medallion.

"I don't know. Maybe it'll come in handy." Erik interrupted quickly. He stuffed 

it into his pocket, then gave Matt and Josh a pointed glance. This was not the place to 

finish it; he knew, he _felt_ it. Erik blinked, realizing that it might seem as if he was 

prejudice, against the girls.

He smiled. "Let's go."

And they walked, Josh leading the way, telling Charmeleon which way was the 

right turn, or which rock to crawl behind. Finally, Isako gave up protesting and simply 

followed Josh.

"Um…Maybe this is a good time to tell you I don't exactly remember the way…" 

Josh said.

They had been walking for three times as long as it should have been and had just 

recently gotten out of the cave. The only problem was that they were a little too high; 

they were on top of the mountain, surrounded by foliage.

"Now is not a good time!" Rachel yelled. "A 'good' time would have been _before_

we went _inside_!"

"Calm down." Matt said, and Rachel immediately sighed.

"Sorry Josh."

"Forget it. Uh Erik…"

Erik stood off to the side as Josh idled up next to him.

"When are you gonna put that piece in? Is a piece, right?"

"Yeah." Erik sighed, pulling out the fifth clue. "The thing is, I don't think it is, 

but I do at the same time."

"What do you mean?"

"All the other times, a Pokémon found the clue, and some verse went with it, but 

they either told me or someone else did. This time…"

"There wasn't anyone telling you anything, and none of your Pokémon found it." 

Josh said. "Well, try it on anyway. If it is the clue, great. If not, nothing should 

happen."

"I guess you're right."

"I'm always right."

Erik swallowed, then pulled out his medallion. Slowly, he moved the piece to the 

slot it fit. And he put it in, a perfect fit.

His friends cried out in amazement, gathering around him and staring at the 

medallion, floating in the air, the parts in it glowing a fierce white-green. Erik could feel 

the trees and the life of the nature stronger than he had ever felt them before. The first 

part glowed into the empty one next to it, away from the fifth. Slowly, the empty parts 

were filled in around the circle.

As the last part filled in, they began to glow too bright to look at. His friends 

were silent, but Erik still stared at the medallion. A silent voice filled his head, 

dominating his thoughts. It was not Laury's.

"Now know this: You alone are worthy of Gassiter. Half is whole; there are no 

more parts."

The medallion grew ever brighter, until all the light seemed to converge into the 

center, where a crystal formed, bright green, dark green, and greens of all types swirled 

and converged endlessly.

A sudden, shining sort of the light penetrated outwards, forming beams in all 

directions, traveling along the medallion's cord, turning it into a chain, until it reached 

him.

He felt nothing; only saw brightness. He felt a strong tingling of his skin, felt his 

clothes disappear and reappear, forming into new garments. He felt a weight put all 

around his body, felt the softest feel of the grass, felt the air and scent of pine blow 

upwards from the front, felt a connection to Nature, as if it were a feasible, tangible thing.

And when his sight faded back, before then even, he tested it, and indeed it was a 

tangible thing; he could warp it, twist it, use it, cause some energy from all throughout to 

form into something else here, or there, and maybe both places.

He looked at his friends, saw them looking at him. Rachel wore a bright red shirt, 

as well as bright red pants. The wind blew the a cloak, fiery red to match her hair.

Josh wore a mahogany cloak as well, mahogany shirt, sleeveless, and mahogany 

brown pants.

Matt sported a sky blue cloak, not to be confused with a sea-green or ice-blue, as 

well as a blue shirt and pants that seemed to match the bright, sunny sky above.

Isako, last in line, wore a deep purple shirt and pants. Her set of color-coded wear 

was finished by a cloak as well, the same shape of mind perplexing purple.

Erik gaped at them, and gaped, finally, at himself.

The weight he had felt was a black cloak that was forest green at the same time. 

He wore long green pants, as well as a long-sleeved green shirt.

They all seemed to have aged. Matt and Rachel looked the same, about fifteen, 

but Josh and Isako looked as if they had suddenly grown to that age as well. Erik 

guessed that he looked older too. He felt taller, and more mature.

Silently, he matched colors with types, elements, of Pokémon. Red, Fire. 

Mahogany, Fighting. Sky blue, Flying. Purple, Psychic. And, green, Grass.

Finally, he noticed them gaping past him. He looked behind him, and backed up, 

friend on either side of him, cloaks forming a rainbow of color to match the rainbow of 

color facing them.

Across from Isako, a bright orange cloak signified the Bug element, strong against 

the Psychic Element. Across from Matt, a sun yellow cloak flapped in the strong wind. 

Electric, strong against Flying.

For Josh, it was a lighter purple than Isako's cloak. Poison. For Rachel, that 

special sea-green that showed Water.

And finally, for Erik, a definite, bright green. Dragon, the only type that had one 

main weakness: Ice. And as far as he knew, no one on Erik's team had Ice Pokémon.

Cloaks flapped in a wind that seemed to get stronger by the minute. And, silently, 

Erik found the one thing he had been searching for, the one key to the final chapter.

A green mist swirled from underground, seeping in a column upwards, solidifying 

into a oaken staff, which flashed brightly, then changed into a double-bladed sword that 

had room for one hand. The handle spread, with the blades, for two hands.

Gassiter was released.

****

Chapter 15

Splitting Goals

Erik's friends watched as the Blade of Grass was released. They too, silently, had 

matured greatly in the past few moments. They too, like Erik, could feel the tangible 

presence of their own Element. And they, too, knew their weapons, and found them.

Rachel suddenly sported a flaming Katana, the ancient weapon of samurai. Matt 

held in one hand a round, sky blue ring, razor sharp with a handle through the center. He 

also sported shiny Ninja stars on his belt, three held ready in hand. Josh had mahogany, 

fingerless gloves that were cut at the knuckles, where short, dangerous spikes protruded. 

Isako held twin sais, the three blades of each held in a traditional stance.

In response to the calling of weapons, the malevolent feeling extruded from the 

other five, cloaked men, a single command was given from the Dragon trainer.

"Ready yourselves for victory."

The voice was deep, commanding, but almost raspy. It was not what Erik had 

expected; the face looked nearly the same age as Erik guessed he himself was.

The Water trainer facing Rachel raised her hands, fingers outstretched, towards 

Rachel. A blue, aqua glow surrounded them, until it formed into a liquid sword. The 

Electric trainer facing Matt drew throwing knives, crackling with electricity, and his own, 

electric ring. The Poison trainer formed a javelin, as well as short daggers on the belt. 

The Bug trainer facing Isako slowly rose several feet off the ground, as did Isako. The 

Bug trainer was using the part flying he may have had, probably because he had been 

with a Butterfree or Beedrill for so long. Isako was using her mind. The bug trainer, 

now that he was in the air, sported large, sharp needles over both forearms.

Erik knew that because they could use the elements, they would have the same 

weaknesses as the elements. And the same strengths. But still, physical was physical, 

and a blade was as deadly to a Bug trainer as a Ghost trainer.

Finally, slowly and dramatically, the Dragon trainer formed his weapon from the 

bright green mist. It was a whip, light green, alone and powerful. It was a metallic 

green, which hinted Erik that he could not cut it with his blades.

The Dragon trainer began by raising his whip, then thrusting it forward. It 

extended fast, almost too fast for Erik to dodge. Nevertheless, a bright bolt of light green 

struck out where Erik has been moments before. Erik had dodged forward and twisted, 

so he used his position to try and slice at the trainer. Reversing Gassiter, Erik quickly 

sliced downwards, but the dragon trainer dodged as well, pulling the whip around, which 

Erik blocked with his sword, sparks flying from the metallic clang.

Rachel's sword could not deal with a blade formed from water, so Matt had taken 

on the job of fighting the Water trainer, and Rachel had taken on the Electric one. The 

odds were evened.

As for Isako, she took on Rachel and Matt's strategy and switched with Josh. All 

together, they were giving the enemy a beating.

Erik however, could not use Grass techniques. They were not very effective on 

the Dragon trainer; unfortunately, it was not vice versa.

Erik lunged, blocked, parried, twisted, and dived, but the Dragon Trainer, whom 

Erik had come to label as DT, had successfully attacked and counter-attacked everything. 

They were in the same boat; Erik was fast and good in close combat, even with the 

bladed staff, while the dragon trainer was strong, forceful, and could take a beating. He 

also sported concealed metal plates on his arms; Erik saw them only after he had sliced 

through the DT's arm and ripped away the cloak, letting the metal shine through.

The battle raged, trainers one-on-one, odds even—except for Erik. Erik's team 

was forcing the enemy back. Rachel was firing bolts of flame towards the electric 

trainer, who retaliated with crackling bolts of lightning. Isako was having an easy time 

with the Poison trainer, her element strong against the other; the trainer of Poison was 

soon unable to fight. Isako released a bright purple beam of pure Psychic energy, one 

that finished the Poison trainer.

His screams echoed as energy poured into his element-weakened body, and faded 

as he suddenly dispersed into a fine, light purple mist. The battle paused for a moment, 

all mourning over the needless cause of death.

War is a terrible thing.

Erik jumped, barely dodging the lightning fast crack of the whip, cutting the air 

where his head had just been. He flipped away, landing a dozen feet distant.

At the same time, Josh finally landed a blow on the Bug trainer who had avoided 

his swings by taking flight. Josh quickly followed suit with two quick jabs. Finally, 

before the Bug trainer could react, Josh jumped, fell, and landed a killing blow with both 

fists. Small spikes jabbed into a screaming trainer's flesh; a moment before it was 

nothing but a mist, echoing with a scream of late understanding.

Two down, three to go. Erik mentally ticked the remained figures off. He swept 

powerfully with his sword, straight at the DT's neck.

He missed, but Erik caught something else. It was a chain, which snapped and 

fell, thrown across the field.

"No!" the DT cried, reaching towards the necklace.

Erik took the opportunity to thrust, but the whip lashed out and struck home. His 

chest throbbed and burned as Erik was thrown across the field, slamming into the hard 

trunk of an oak tree. Unfortunately, his brief flight did not end there; Erik smashed 

through the trunk, before landing and sliding in the hard packed dirt.

The tree fell, but it was hardly noticed as it crashed among Masters fighting one 

another. A quick, simultaneous strike from all of the DT's forces knocked Erik's group 

to him.

All of the others lined up facing Erik and company, glows surrounding each as 

they prepared to annihilate their enemies.

"Why?" Erik managed to choke out, the universal question haunting him in the 

last moments of his existence.

"Revenge." Was all the DT said. "Revenge, for—"

He was cut off as a beam of ice-white slammed into him, not even screaming as 

he was killed, mist becoming his body.

The beam, a half dozen feet thick, proceeded to slam into all of the DT's other 

forces.

"He was not killed." Isako whispered, and Erik knew that it was true. "He is 

elsewhere."

Erik stood up as the beam ended and fizzled out. A lone form dropped from one 

of the trees, ice-white cloak fluttering above, and collapsed onto the earth, breathing 

deeply.

Erik ran over to the person who had saved them, and stopped, kneeled, beside 

them.

A slim, feminine form was draped by the ice-blue cloak. The pulled back hood 

showed chin-length, brown hair.

She slowly rose up to a sitting position, looking Erik in the eye.

Glowing blue eyes, a shade almost as rare as Erik's own green eyes, looked into 

him. Gentle features formed a perfect face. Their eyes locked, until hers fluttered to his 

back.

She whispered a fluid, soft sound. "Thanks for keeping my pack."

Erik grinned; she smiled weakly. Helping her to her feet Erik looked again into 

the eyes that held him. She too looked at him, probing him. It was as if they held no 

secrets from each other, as if they had known one another all their lives. Erik looked into 

her eyes, and she looked into him.

The others stood by the side. Matt had an arm around Rachel's shoulder, 

shrugging an ultimate battle off as if it were as trivial as eating lunch. Josh himself 

blushed as Isako gave into her feminine instincts and lay her head against his shoulder.

"Anybody up for pizza?"

Erik laughed, along with the others, at Matt's nonchalant comment. But he never 

broke his gaze into Laury's eyes.

Erik's cloak formed into mist and disappeared, his normal clothes retaking the set. 

He was still almost fourteen, having aged suddenly, along with his maturity. He brushed 

aside a stray lock of hair from the sparkling blue eyes that held him captive.

He leaned close, and kissed her, closing forever the prophesy he had unleashed.


End file.
